The Heart of All Worlds: Ice Breaker
by Is Og Ild
Summary: High school's tough enough on its own for any teen, but for Elsa, it's a real nightmare. Secret ice powers? Strange shadow monsters? And just why does that weirdo with the spiky red hair keep staring at her? Was it asking too much to make it through Prom Night without anything going wrong? Apparently, yes. Yes it was. [Book 1! Kingdom Hearts AU meets Modern Frozen]
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hi! Hello! Welcome, and thanks for giving my quirky little story a chance! It might seem a little slow at first (or maybe not?), but please at least give the first 3 or 4 chapters a try before making up your mind about it, they go fast, I promise! And please keep in mind that this is an AU, which goes for both KH and Frozen, and thus while some things will be the same, other things will be very, very different. You've been warned.

 **Quick Disclaimer:** Just stating this here and now for the entire story - I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Frozen.

* * *

 **THE HEART OF ALL WORLDS: ICE BREAKER**

 _~*~  
_  
 _The hot and the cold are both so intense  
Put 'em together, it just makes sense!  
_  
 _~*~_

Elsa awoke with a start, breathing heavily, her heart racing. It took her a few seconds to realize that she had been dreaming and that she was safe and sound in her bed. She propped herself up on her elbows and rubbed her tired eyes.

What had her nightmare even been about? She could not recall. In fact, she could never remember them, though bad dreams had been disturbing her out of her slumber a lot lately. She was beginning to get seriously sleep deprived.

She glanced at her clock and saw that she still had another hour before she had to get up for school. Yawning, she began to rest her head against her pillow, but jolted up again when she realized it was like lying on a cinderblock. Reaching for the light on her nightstand, she turned it on to see that a section of her pillow had been frozen solid.

"Stupid powers," she grumbled, throwing the stiff pillow off her bed and reaching for another one.

Once upon a time, she had been a normal girl with a normal life, no out of the ordinary abilities to speak of. Then, one day at the age of seven, her "gift" had spontaneously developed when she accidentally froze a class bully's tongue into a water spray from the drinking fountain he had been trying to take a sip from.

At first, being an inquisitive child, she found her new ice powers to be interesting - a new toy to be played with. But then an accident occurred that proved nearly fatal, and she began to see them as more of a curse to be feared. From then on, she had been doing everything she could to suppress her ability. It apparently was not proving to be enough however, if a chilled pillow was any indication. This was not the first pillow she had iced over in her sleep either.

Try as she might, she could not get back to sleep. So with a heavy sigh, she instead decided to get up early and take an extra long, extra hot shower.

She took her time getting dressed afterwards. Just about ready to head downstairs, she glanced in the mirror. Her gaze met the reflection of her own crystal blue eyes before taking in the rest. Her platinum blonde hair was not a mess. Good. Her outfit was fine too, there was just one thing missing.

Opening the top drawer of her dresser revealed far more gloves than any one person could possibly ever need in one lifetime. Elsa had found over the years that wearing gloves somehow seemed to help her rein in her powers. And somewhere along the way, they had become a bit of an addiction for her - no visit to a clothing store was complete without a new set of gloves. She grabbed a pair from the drawer, slipped them on, then left her room, closing the door behind her.

As she walked down the long hall, the plush rug cushioning her footsteps, she crossed paths with the butler. "Good morning, Olaf," she nodded.

"And a pleasant morning to you as well, Miss Elsa," he returned her greeting kindly with a bow.

Elsa was fond of the rather short, rather round man. He always had a warm smile for her. "I hope you have a great day," she said, giving him a quick curtsy before jogging down the grand staircase.

"You do the same, young Miss," she heard him call after her.

She entered the dining room. Sitting at the long table in the center were her parents, one at each end. Her father was reading the newspaper and her mother was tapping away at a laptop. Both had plates of untouched food before them. At the center of the table was Elsa's own breakfast.

"Morning, Mother. Morning, Father," Elsa greeted as she took her seat.

"Morning, sweetie," her mother responded distractedly, not looking up from her screen. Her dad muttered something that was possibly a greeting as he turned the page, papers rustling.

Her mom was a chief legal officer and her father was a financial adviser. Thus it would be a safe assumption that her family was considered well off. It was also a safe assumption that their high power careers left them little time for the less important things, like developing relationships with their children.

Given her uncanny ability to freeze a lake into an ice rink, Elsa had been just fine with this. Even at the young age she had first discovered her powers, she knew that they would be best kept to herself. Thankfully, her parents' busy jobs had made hiding it from them easy.

A big screen TV was affixed to the wall and was currently on, broadcasting the morning news. A reporter was speaking and displayed behind her were images of an empty ocean. The sound was muted, so Elsa could not hear what the woman was saying, but she glanced at the headline scrolling along the bottom of the screen.

 _Day 7 after disappearance of tropical archipelago Destiny Islands. Scientists still baffled._

So that was still a hot topic, Elsa mused as she ate. True, a whole string of islands going missing would be big news, but she was sure it would have just been revealed to be a hoax by now. She was not sure how something like that would have been pulled off, but come on, islands didn't just vanish into thin air.

Taking her eyes off the television, she looked across from her to find an empty chair. "Where's Anna?"

"Hm?" her mom hummed, clearly preoccupied. "Oh, your sister already left for school. A friend picked her up, I think."

"Ah," was Elsa's only response. She picked at the remainder of her food in a silence that was only punctuated by the sound of her dad turning another page in his newspaper.

* * *

The bell rung for lunch and Elsa's classmates herded out of the classroom. She hung back, taking her time to pack her stuff up before leaving. She generally tried to avoid getting wedged in the middle of a bunch of people wherever she could, as the presence of so many invading her personal space made her nervous. She did not like inviting the chance that her touch might unintentionally give someone frostbite, or worse.

"Elsa, my Love!" she heard a familiar voice exclaim as she exited into the hall. An arm slipped around her shoulders and squeezed them in a hug. Another hand was presenting a small daisy to her face. She took the flower gently and smiled up at Hans, the tall, brown-haired, green-eyed senior who also just so happened to be her boyfriend.

Given that it was common knowledge that her family was rather wealthy, Elsa had developed a bit of renown in her school despite her antisocial tendencies. That being said, she still had never really been considered one of the popular kids. She was more of a curiosity, a mystery - someone that other students gossiped about. That's why it was a surprise to everyone, including and especially Elsa, when Hans, the most popular boy in school, had taken an interest in her last year.

He had just started talking to her one day out of the blue. Sitting next to her at lunch; passing her notes in a class they shared; not leaving her side after bumping into her by chance at the mall. His sudden attentions were confusing, but not entirely unwelcome. An uneasy friendship formed - uneasy on Elsa's side of it at least, Hans seemed to be having no trouble at all. Then Hans had started shamelessly flirting with her, which had made Elsa laugh at first. When she realized he was serious however, she started steadfastly refusing his attempts to ask her out. Friendship was one thing, but dating? Out of the question.

He did not give up however. He was not pushy, just persistent and even ridiculous in his attempts, which never failed to make Elsa smile. After months of him pursuing her however, she knew this had to come to a stop. So she had sat him down and told him the closest thing she could to the truth without actually revealing her powers. She told him she could not handle skin contact with other people, that the barest touch could cause her panic attacks. So she explained that a proper relationship could never occur between them - after all, how could they ever truly be boyfriend and girlfriend if she would not even allow them to kiss?

She was shocked when Hans had responded that he did not care about any of that stuff. All he cared about was her, and the fact that he wanted to be with her. The rest was not as important. He was patient and could wait for her to be ready, and in fact, he would be okay if she was never ready. It was her choice.

Elsa had been left speechless. When she had finally found her voice again, she had relented and agreed to giving it a try. Secretly, she was sure that with enough time to see that she had not been exaggerating about her idiosyncrasy, Hans would change his mind.

But here he was six months later, still giving her flowers.

"How has your day been so far?" he asked her as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Boring beyond belief," she admitted. "All my finals are finished, so all my classes involve just sitting around either learning stuff we won't be quizzed on or watching movies I don't care about. What about yours?"

"Same, except I have one final left in Trig this afternoon, which I haven't prepared for at all. I'm going to be using the lunch period to get some last minute study time in."

She snorted. "30 minute cram session before the big Trig exam? You'll ace it, no problem."

He gave her a wink, "That's the plan. Wish me luck."

"Good luck. You'll need it."

"Gee, thanks," he laughed. "I've got practice today after classes. Will you still be around afterwards?"

She nodded, "I'll be in the library."

He planted a kiss on the top of her head and said, "See you then."

She waved good bye to him as she watched him run off to join his brothers. Hans actually had twelve older brothers, a fact that made Elsa feel sorry for their mom. Most of them had already graduated - the only ones left were his older twin brothers and Hans himself. The twins were remarkably similar. Their grade point average had held them both back a year, which is why they were still in school when they should have graduated a year ahead of Hans. They were also both fantastic football players for the school team, which is why their coach didn't mind them sticking around for another year.

A few minutes later, Elsa was in the crowded cafeteria with a tray full of food in hand, looking for a seat.

"Hello, Elsa!" a random girl said as she walked by in the opposite direction of her.

"H-Hello," she muttered in response.

Another girl seated at a table she was passing looked up at her. "Love your shoes, Elsa."

She glanced down at the rather unremarkable pair of black boots she was wearing before responding, "Uh… thanks."

Yet another female student told her, "Can't wait for Prom. You totally got my vote for Queen."

"Thanks, but that's not necess-" she tried to respond, but the person had already disappeared into a group of her friends. So the sentence died on her lips in a sigh.

It was true that Elsa had never been what one would consider one of the "cool kids." Or at least that was the case up until she had become Hans' girlfriend. After that, she had been enjoying no small amount of sudden popularity. No, _enjoying_ wasn't the right word. _Enduring_ was a better way to put it. With students that she had never spoken to before now all acting like they were her closest confidants, Elsa found the situation very unsettling and uncomfortable. And yes, she was even in the running for Prom Queen, which she sincerely hoped she would not win. Standing in front of that many people while trying to remain calm and keep her powers under control? The whole thing was just asking for trouble.

With no one demanding her attention anymore, she was free to look around again and spotted amongst the sea of seated people an auburn head of hair that she recognized. With a tiny, hopeful smile, she walked in that direction and sat down across from her sister.

Anna was at the table by herself, flipping through a magazine, her lunch half eaten. She did not look up as Elsa joined her.

Elsa cleared her throat. "Hello, Anna."

"Hey," she responded flatly, eyes still trained on her periodical as she flipped a page.

There was silence for a minute. Then she asked, "How have your classes been so far today?"

"Fine," Anna gave another single syllable response.

To say Elsa's relationship with her sister was strained would be putting it mildly. When they had been younger, they had been inseparable, the best of friends. They had shared every secret between them - every secret that is, except for Elsa's powers. She had actually planned to tell her sister, but then the accident had happened that had caused Elsa to fear her abilities. It had been winter time and snow had coated their city in white, making it much easier to get away with using her powers undetected. So she had gotten more bold with them. Bold, and careless.

It had happened during a snowball fight between them. Suddenly Elsa had decided that it took far too long to actually make her ammo by hand, and had started shooting off magically generated snowballs from her fingertips. It all had been happening so quickly, Anna had not even noticed that the snowballs were literally flying from Elsa's hands. But then something had gone wrong. Instead of a snowball, an arctic blast in the form of a hazy, blue beam and snowflakes had launched from Elsa's hands and struck Anna hard in the face. Her little sister had then collapsed like a bag of bricks.

Anna turned out to be okay in the end. She had required a trip to the hospital and a few days of recovery, but she had suffered no serious injuries and it wasn't long before she was running rampant through the halls of their home once more. But the damage had already been done to young Elsa. She thought herself a monster, a freak. She hated her powers… she hated herself. And that was when the wall had started to erect between the two sisters.

For many years afterwards, Anna tried to regain the friendship she had once had with her older sister, but Elsa shut her out at every turn. Eventually, she gave up. With parents who were always engrossed in their work and an estranged sibling, Anna had grown into a rather wild teenager. Rarely home, staying out all hours of the night, doing who knows what.

Though Elsa knew she was responsible for the distance between them, she often found herself missing what they had once had. And so, it was moments like these, where she had precious alone time with Anna, that she somehow found the strength to temporarily put aside her fears and tentatively reach out to her.

So, Elsa tried again. "Alone today? I usually see you surrounded by a bunch of boys."

Anna rolled her eyes as she said, "I'm not such the attention whore you make me out to be."

She blinked in surprise. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Relax, Sis," she waved off her words with a grin. "I was kidding. Seriously, you need to learn to chill."

Elsa shyly returned the smile before taking a bite of her food. The two sat quietly, but at least it now felt more comfortable and less awkward. It was a start.

She suddenly had the strange feeling that someone was watching her. Turning her head, she scanned the cafeteria. Nothing seemed unusual, just other students interacting and eating their lunches.

Then her gaze locked with a pair of bright, christmas-light green eyes looking directly at her. They belonged to a tall, slender boy with blazing red, shoulder-length hair that was styled back into spikes. His shirt had some rock band logo on it and he was wearing earbuds, which were connected to his phone that he held in hand. And he was just staring directly at her.

Panicking, Elsa broke eye contact immediately to look down at her lunch. She reached her hands out on the table towards her sister and whispered, "Anna."

She quirked an eyebrow and mock whispered back, "What?"

"Do you know who that boy is?" she nodded her head slightly in his general direction, eyes still glued to the table.

Anna looked and smirked. "Who? Tall, red, and handsome?"

Her eyes shifted about in confusion. "I guess… maybe?"

"Well, well, Sis, I'm surprised! Getting tired of Hans already?"

"What? No, it's not like that. It's…" She found the courage to glance his way again. He was no longer looking at her. He was instead eyeing his phone, his thumbs tapping away at the screen.

What should she say to Anna? That he had been staring at her? Anna had not seen that, so Elsa felt she would probably just come off sounding paranoid.

"Of course it's not. Uh huh. Your secret is safe with me," Anna replied with a wink when Elsa never finished her sentence. "I don't know his name, but I've seen him around. He used to be a bit of a troublemaker. Class clown, a real loud mouth, you know?

"But one day he came in, and he was different. Something had gotten to him, messed him up. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but word is his mother died from some terminal illness or other." Anna frowned for a second, then waggled her eyebrows at her sister as she said, "Depressed guys are easy. I can help you if you like."

"Anna," she hissed disapprovingly. "That's not what this is about. I just-"

"Elsa, are you ready for Prom? I can't wait to see your dress, it must be _stunning!_ " another voice suddenly interjected into their conversation. A girl that Elsa did not really know but somewhat recognized from around school was taking a seat next to her.

The clatter of a tray hitting the table alerted Elsa to another student sitting down on the other side of her. "Oh, believe me it _is_ , I've seen it," this one said. Elsa knew for a fact this stranger had not actually seen her gown.

A few other girls joined the tabled and started talking around her, pretending to be her friends. She hugged her arms around herself, concentrating on maintaining what little space she could between herself and the rest of these new bodies around her. She looked across the table to her sister for help, but her eyes met nothing but air. Anna had left without so much as a good bye. Elsa sighed and hung her head.

* * *

Exhaling a heavy breath, Elsa turned the page of the textbook before her. Chin propped in hand, she scanned the words, but they did not really register in her mind. She supposed there was not really a point to studying any more anyway, she was basically done with school for the year. She was not even sure why she had stayed after school to hang out in the library. Force of habit was her best guess.

She shut the book with a thud, revealing a small stack of comic books on the table beneath it. Yes, her school library stocked comics as well. She was not sure exactly what sort of educational material they were supposed to be supplying, but she was not complaining. They were kind of a guilty pleasure of hers.

The top comic was of the _X-Men_ variety, the cover sporting Iceman duking it out with a super villain of some sort. As if moving of their own accord, her fingers traced along the lines of the artwork on the cover.

Sighing again, she glanced out the window at the clear, blue sky. If only there was an Xavier Institute out there somewhere for people like her. Really, if it came down to it, she would give up her powers in a heartbeat if she could. But since that didn't seem to be an option, finding some place to train them, to give her more control over them, to suppress them… that idea seemed like the next best thing. A place where there would be people like her. Where she wouldn't feel so alone...

 _If only…_

But there was no use daydreaming. She stood up and stretched, wondering how much longer Hans would be. Gathering the books and comics together so she could return them to their shelves, she took a look around the library and stopped.

When had _he_ gotten here? She thought she had been all by herself in here, but sitting a few tables over from her was that redhead she had seen at lunch, flipping through a book. Rooted to her spot, Elsa watched him. How had she not noticed his arrival and how long had he been there?

His eyes shifted up to look at her. With a start, Elsa hastily finished gathering the books together on her table, picked them up in a stack, and practically ran behind the nearest bookcase.

Out of sight, she shakily placed the books and comics back where they belonged as she regained her composure. What was she freaking out about anyway? He was just some strange boy. There was nothing to worry about, right?

Her hands empty now, she wrung them together. She still did not know when Hans would finish his practice and come to meet her. So, with a lack of anything better to do, she grabbed a novel from the fiction section without really paying attention to what it was and began to return to her table. She stopped behind the last bookcase, tentatively peeking her head around the corner.

His table was now empty and he was nowhere to be seen. She was not sure whether that was a good thing or not. On the one hand, he might have simply left. On the other, he might still be here and now she had no idea where he was.

 _Stop thinking like that,_ she berated herself. Elsa straightened up and walked back to her table, cracking the novel open to its first chapter.

Just as she was about to take her seat again however, the sound of something falling could be heard from somewhere else in the library. Elsa jumped, closing the novel once more and looking around. Nothing.

"Hans? Is that you?" she asked hopefully.

Silence answered her. Then a few seconds later, there was another sound - possibly a bookcase rattling?

"Whoever's there, if this is a prank, then trust me when I say you're messing with the wrong person," she threatened, her words belying her dread.

Still no one voiced a response. But she finally spotted movement. A shadow was stretching around the floor from behind one of the bookcases. She clenched her fists, preparing a withering scowl for whoever that shadow belonged to.

The shadow finished turning the corner - but nothing else did. It seemed to be… moving on its own? With a gulp, Elsa took a step back and slowly, reluctantly looked up. No, there was nothing crawling along the ceiling lights and casting that shadow. That at least was a relief, however small. She looked back down and saw it was still closing the distance between her and it. She edged further back, gripping the book in her hands until her knuckles began to turn white.

Suddenly, the silhouette stopped and began to quiver. Elsa gasped as it erupted, like a small geyser of oily liquid, and the shadow started to take the shape of some sort of creature, no longer flat on the ground. The form it took began to look vaguely humanoid, except smaller and jet black. Its fingers ended in razor sharp points. It had pair of antennas, the left one bent crooked in several places. It had no face, just a set of eyes that glowed a noxious yellow as they stared up at her.

Elsa found she could do nothing as she looked back at it, her body feeling like it had turned to stone. Nothing, that is, until it brandished its claws at her and started making a sound that was anything but friendly. That sound was interrupted as a novel hit it square in the face, knocking it off its feet.

Arm still outstretched from throwing her book, Elsa slowly straightened up again. The strange shadow monster woozily got back up to its feet and shook its round head before its eyes shot back up at her with what could only be described as a death glare. It then leapt at her, claws outstretched.

With a squeak, she bolted. She started knocking over the smaller library desks behind her as she ran, trying to slow it down. However, glancing over her shoulder, she saw that the monster merely slipped into a flattened shadow against the ground once more and slid unhindered beneath any obstacles she created.

Ducking behind a shelf, she pressed her back against the books, hoping for just a second to hide. What _was_ that thing? It did not matter, she needed to get out of here! She looked around and hissed in agitation. She was nowhere near an exit. She'd have to go back the way she had come. Back past that _thing_. Gritting her teeth, she turned and began to sprint.

And immediately tripped and fell flat on her face.

With a wince, she propped herself up on her elbows and rubbed her head. She then looked up and her eyes widened. The little beast was on top of the bookcase across from her. It began creeping down the book spines, like a spider crawling down a wall. She found she could only manage to sit up and push her back against the opposite bookshelf, watching it as it drew closer, her heart pounding in her ears.

It paused momentarily to study her, its disfigured antenna shuddering. Then it launched itself at her.

Elsa's hands flew up in front of her protectively. From them, a spray of ice blades shot out like a rain of arrows, slicing through the air with deadly grace.

Unfortunately, none of them hit the creature as it easily dodged out of the line of fire and landed next to her in a crouch. What the frozen shards did hit however was the bookcase across from her. They struck with loud cracks, tearing at the tomes and rocking the giant shelf backwards. It did not quite fall over however, not just yet. It stopped, managing to balance on its back edge. Then it swung back, now leaning slowly forward.

Elsa had been scooting away from the little monster as it stalked slowly towards her. However, both their attentions were drawn to a new creaking sound coming from above them. They looked up to see the bookcase beginning to topple towards them, gravity sliding the books out and dropping a few of them to the floor around Elsa.

Rolling over onto her hands and knees, she half crawled, half stumbled out of the oncoming disaster. She barely got out of the way as it crashed into the bookcase across from it, books avalanching onto the ground and causing it to rumble.

Silence filled the room once more, except for the sound of Elsa's panting. She turned and looked at the mess. The second bookcase that had caught the first stood fast, now supporting the weight of the other. The books were in an undignified heap on the ground. The shadow beast was nowhere to be seen.

Her breathing slowed and she chewed her lower lip. Was it gone? Had it gotten crushed to death under the onslaught of textbooks? Or…

...had she just imagined the whole thing?

What was she thinking, of _course_ she had imagined it all! Shadows did not simply move around with a mind of their own, taking shape and attacking people! But then… she did not know how much better it made her feel to think that she might just be going crazy and hallucinating.

She hesitantly rose to her feet and inched towards the pile of books. She halted briefly before summoning enough bravery to nudge it with her shoe. A few textbooks slid down from the top of the pile to the floor, but nothing else happened. No sign of the monster, no shadowy foot sticking out at an odd angle, no antenna emerging from between the tomes. She lifted her foot to prod the book pile again.

"Elsa? What happened?"

She jumped and nearly fell over at the sudden sound of the new voice. Looking around, she saw Hans standing towards the middle of the room, looking at the desks she had overturned. He glanced up at her, then behind her to the leaning bookcase and the mass of books in disarray on the ground and his eyes widened. "Are you okay?"

"I- I'm fine," she responded shakily as he rushed over to her and hugged her.

"What happened?" he repeated.

What to tell him? Surely she could not say anything about what she had seen - or rather, thought she had seen. All this over a figment of her imagination? He would have her locked up in the loony bin. "I, uh… I sneezed." She winced. That was the best she could come up with? Really?

"…you… sneezed?"

"That's right, I sneezed," she nodded enthusiastically. "And I, er… that caused me to trip and fall against this bookcase and knock it over."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You… were able to knock over a bookcase all by yourself?"

"Yup. Guess I don't know my own strength," she laughed weakly.

"What about those desks?"

"Those? Oh, ah, those… fell over on their own… when the shelf fell! You should have seen it, the way the whole room shook."

"Is that right?" he asked. She nodded again, then shrugged. He frowned and shook his head. "Well, I'm just glad you weren't hurt. Come on, I'll help you clean this up so you don't get in trouble."

She smiled. "Thanks." With some effort, she and Hans were able to right the bookcase. She then knelt down and began to gather books.

Hans was still eyeing the empty shelves, running his fingers along them. Then she heard him ask, "…is this… ice?"

She paled.

"Oh, um… yeah. I think someone must have spilled their drink there."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Yes, very little Kingdom Hearts at the moment, but don't worry, it's coming! I know the concept is a little weird, but trust me, if you keep reading, you won't be disappointed! I hope you enjoy it!

 **Pretty please leave a review!** You may not think it, but every review matters! No matter how long or short, positive or negative, many or just one! They're all unique and beautiful, like a snowflake!


	2. Chapter 2

_"...Anna?"_

 _No response._

" _Anna!" She ran over to where her sister had collapsed. She was so still. So very, very still._

 _She landed on her knees in the snow next to her and took her lifeless form in her trembling arms. She was so cold. "Wake up! Please, wake up!"_

 _Nothing, not even a twitch of her eyelids._

" _Anna!"_

"Elsa?"

She blinked at the sound of her name and shook her head, returning her attention to the present. Mint green eyes were looking at her in concern. She looked down. "Sorry. Was just lost in thought."

"Anything the matter?" Hans frowned.

Elsa shook her head. "No. Just… just an old memory resurfacing." She smiled in an attempt to reassure him. It was weak. "Long past, nothing to worry about."

He looked unconvinced. He tried to reach a comforting hand to her cheek. Her stomach knotted and, almost imperceptibly, she tilted her head slightly away. It was enough and he stopped an inch before skin contact. Deciding on a different tactic, Hans shifted his hand to take her gloved one in his and guided her into a spin, her powder blue gown flaring out around her ankles. The sudden movement was a surprise, but not an unpleasant one, and she found herself laughing despite herself, the last dregs of the memory scurrying off into the shadowy recesses of her mind to hide once more.

Prom was in full swing now, their school's gym packed with seniors, juniors, food, punch, and decorations. Emblazoned on one wall was a gigantic depiction of Arendelle High's mascot Avalanche, a rather ferocious looking abominable snowman. Elsa had pushed yesterday's events at the library out of her thoughts. Whether she was losing her mind or not, there was no use worrying about it now. If it happened again, then she might consider it cause for alarm.

Elsa and Hans had been on and off the dance floor all night, and were currently in the middle of a slow dance. Hans' impromptu spin had not entirely been in time with the music. Hans eased her twirling to a stop, keeping one hand in hers and gently placing the other on her waist once more, looking pleased with himself. She smiled shyly back at him.

"You look beautiful," he said suddenly.

She felt her cheeks warm up. "Thank you." Her fingers curled slightly into the fabric of his jacket. "You always know just what to say, don't you?"

"If it'll light up your face like that? Of course."

Her grin twitched slightly wider, and she leaned forward to rest her head against his chest. As they turned slowly to the tune, she contentedly watched the party going on around her.

There was the football team gathered around the punch bowl, talking and laughing boisterously. And in the center of them, being the loudest of them all, were Hans' older twin brothers, looking extremely odd without their football gear, the rumpled and too small tuxes they wore looking entirely out of place on their hulking frames.

In the next group over was Anna surrounded by several boys. In her green, strapless gown that had just barely passed their parents' strict inspection, she was flirting shamelessly with those gathered around her. One of her "suitors" said something to her and she beamed back at him in response before grabbing his hand and dragging him out to the dance floor with her. Elsa chuckled and shook her head.

Their slow turn next brought into her sight the group that many at her school would have called the freaks and geeks, though Elsa would have more diplomatically said they walked to the beat of a different drummer. None of them were dancing, though for some reason, one was enthusiastically head banging to the slow song. Heads and shoulders above them was a blonde guy that seemed to be the ringleader, smirking at his friends, trying to look like he was far too cool for this whole prom thing.

And not too far off from them, standing by himself was… that tall, redheaded guy from before! He wasn't dressed for prom at all, wearing red Converse, jeans and a black hoodie with silver drawstrings that gleamed like metal. He wasn't interacting with anyone, just standing there and staring. Staring at-

She caught her breath. Once again, he was staring straight at her. Elsa quickly looked away, turning her head to rest her other cheek against Hans.

"What's wrong?" Hans asked.

"Nothing. I was just startled." She lifted her head to peek out of the corner of her eye. The redhead had disappeared into the crowd. "I thought I saw- it doesn't matter. My mind's just playing tricks on me, I guess."

Hans furrowed his brow and looked like he was about to say something, but the sound of applause interrupted him. The song had come to an end and someone was walking onto the stage at one end of the gym. Elsa avoided Hans' gaze, turning to look at the raised platform and clapping along with everyone else.

The person on stage tapped the mic then called into it, "Hello, my fellow Snowmen! You having a great time so far tonight?" More clapping, this time accompanied with spirited cheering. When it died down, he continued, "Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for… time to announce your Prom Queen and King!"

The room erupted in more applause and shouting, but Elsa did not join in this time. She bit her lower lip. _Please don't let it be me. Please don't let it be me._ "And your Prom Queen is…" The announcer flipped open an envelope and began to pull out a sheet of paper inside. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut. _Not me! Not me!_ "Elsa Fryse!"

Her eyes snapped opened as a light shined on her and noise erupted from the other students surrounding her. She smiled shakily and found herself numbly nodding her thanks to those around her. "Come up on stage, Queen Elsa!" the speakers boomed from somewhere overhead. She took the first step. Her knees nearly buckled beneath her, but she caught herself and continued walking relatively smoothly.

 _It'll be okay_ , she told herself. _Just remain calm. Conceal, don't feel. It'll be over soon._ She walked as if on death row, but no one seemed to notice. If they did, they probably just suspected she was still in shock and awe at the announcement. One voice could be heard over the rest, letting out high-pitched whoops. Elsa hardly registered it as her sister's voice. She also hardly heard them announce Hans as the Prom King as she took the steps leading up onto the stage.

She stood on the platform, blinking into the spotlight that suddenly seemed blindingly bright and listening to the deafening crowd. Did they really need to be that loud? A girl approached Elsa and reached up towards her hair. With a start, Elsa took a stumbling step back from her before she realized what the girl had in her hands: a tiara. Oh. Right. Clenching her hands into fists, she stood resolute this time as the girl, quirking an eyebrow, tried again to place the tiara atop Elsa's platinum blonde hair and succeeded this time. As the girl walked off, Elsa looked to her left to find Hans standing a few feet away, his own crown now regally resting atop his head. He grinned warmly at her, and it settled Elsa's nerves somewhat.

 _Everything's okay. Keep it up, you're almost through this._

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you your Prom Queen and King!" She felt Hans take her gloved hand in his and he bowed to the gathered students. Taking a deep breath, Elsa curtsied as well. _Please, let it be over!_ The person at the mic spoke again. "Now, who'd like to see our King and Queen share a royal kiss?"

Elsa's heart nearly stopped. Her eyes shot nervously to the announcer's back. _The nerve of- How dare he- Surely, I don't really have to-_

Apparently, the idea had caught like wildfire as their fellow classmates gleefully roared, more loudly than ever if possible. Her eyes darted around as she felt like a feral, wounded animal backed into a corner.

Suddenly, she felt fabric sliding against her hand. Hans was carefully pulling her glove off. She snatched her hand away, staring at him wide eyed. He returned her look, his green eyes trying to reassure her. "Trust me," he whispered.

She stood frozen for another long second, then slowly offered her hand to him. He continued to gently remove her glove and when done, he lightly guided her cold hand to rest atop his warm one. She flinched at the skin contact. Hans then kneeled before her on one knee and ever so lightly, like a feather's touch, brushed his lips against her knuckles.

He then smiled up at her and relief flooded her. His lips weren't turning blue. There were no signs of frostbite or ice or- Hans was okay! He was really okay!

Then the booing started. Elsa snapped her head around to face the unhappy student body. "Booooring," the announcer rang out into the mic. "Come on, you two lovebirds. Give us a _real_ kiss!"

The gym resounded with cheers, followed by a chant. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Elsa felt her insides shriveling. She then looked down at Hans again. He gazed back up at her, concerned. He was looking to her for his cue, how she wanted this handled. He wasn't going to do anything without her permission.

She screwed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Hans had always been such a good boyfriend. The best. Never pushing, always understanding, always patient. Maybe… maybe he had been patient long enough? But she didn't want to hurt him! If she hurt him or anyone ever again, she couldn't live with herself! But it hadn't happened in so long… she could control her powers now, couldn't she? Just for this one moment? Just for Hans?

She opened her eyes again and hesitantly nodded. He blinked a couple times and quickly stood up, sparing a glance out of the corner of his eyes to the chanting. Elsa didn't know what he had expected for their first kiss, but one thing he probably hadn't counted on was an audience.

He then looked at her and it was like nothing else around them mattered. She gulped and took a small step towards him. Not sure what to do with her hands, she awkwardly placed them on his shoulders. Elsa felt his on her waist. _Conceal,_ her mind whispered to her. _Calm. Don't let them know._ She watched him slowly lean down towards her. She lifted her chin and closed her eyes.

The image, unexpected and unwanted, of a five-year-old Anna flashed across her mind, lying in the snow, frozen and without life.

" _No!_ " Elsa cried. Before she even realized what she was doing, her hands were shoving Hans away. To her horror, she watched as he was flung much further back than she should have been able to manage under her own strength. Freezing blizzard winds that had sprung from thin air carried him further and further, slamming him into a wall with a loud _crash_ before he slumped to the ground, unconscious. Ice shards shattered against the wall around him, one slicing his cheek. Giant, frozen spikes had emerged from the ground in front of Elsa, right where Hans had been standing seconds before, now creating a protective and dangerous barricade.

Then there was silence. Everything went still. Except for Elsa's hands, which were violently shaking before her. She looked down at them and gasped. Her glove! She had never put it back on! How could she have been so careless? This never would have happened if she had just-

She looked around desperately for it until she spotted it crumpled in Hans' hand. She looked from it to his face. Blood was trickling down his cheek, his skin unnaturally pale. Snow seemed to be clumped in his hair. He wasn't moving.

 _What have I done?_

Her voice, barely audible, cracked as she said, "Hans?" She stumbled towards him.

"Don't go near him, you psychotic freak!" an angry voice bellowed, echoing in the otherwise quiet gym. She jumped and looked for its source. One of Hans' older brothers was in the sea of students, pointing a finger and glaring at her.

Hurried footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the gym as his twin pushed through the crowd towards Hans, stooping down beside him. He began to reach for him, then stopped, uncertain if moving him would be the best course of action. Instead, he too turned his eyes up towards Elsa, scowling. "I always knew there was something off about you, you… you _monster!_ " he spat.

"I- I didn't mean to- is he okay? Is Hans-"

"Don't you dare say his name!" the first twin shouted back at her.

Elsa cowered back, then tore her eyes from him and for the first time realized everyone was staring at her. Some blank stares, some confused… some scared. She looked from them, to Hans, to the gleaming ice spikes next to her, then back out at her classmates.

 _They all know!_

She took a few more steps back, blinking away tears. It was all too much! Unable to take it anymore, she turned and bolted off the stage and out the nearest door into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

"Elsa!" Anna called as she burst out through the gym doors into the parking lot. No one could be seen and nothing greeted her except silence.

Anna cursed under her breath. Why hadn't she reacted sooner to the situation? Why had she just gawked at her sister like everyone else had, as if she was just some carnival sideshow? By the time she had snapped out of it, it was too late, Elsa had already fled. Anna had tried to go after her before the doors had even shut behind her sister, but the rest of the students had chosen that moment to start freaking out and pushing her way through them had been like trying to fight against the ocean during a tsunami. It had taken her several minutes just to disentangle herself from the mob and escape the gym.

Something cold brushed against her shoulder. Anna hissed in surprise and looked as she brushed it away with her hand. A paper-thin flake of ice drifted from her shoulder to the ground. She blinked, then looked up to find several more falling from the sky. "Snow? …but it's July..."

Odd though it was, she had to ignore it for now and concentrate on the more pressing issue: Elsa. Some small part of her had hoped her sister had not gone far and would respond to her calling out her name, but now she was certain that Elsa was long gone. She had to find her! Elsa was alone and scared and she needed someone to be on her side... she needed _her!_ But where had she gone?

As if to answer her unspoken question, a gust of chilly wind laced with snowflakes blew out from a nearby alley. Anna stared at it for a second. It was as good a place as any to start. She began to run towards it, but stumbled and almost fell flat on her face.

"Stupid heels!" she huffed as she yanked her shoes off her feet and threw them. She took another step then stopped immediately as the ground chilled her now bare feet. Enough snow had hit the ground by now to coat it in icy dampness. Damn, she wasn't going to be able to get anywhere like this. Her shoes would not be convenient for running, but they'd be better than this.

She looked for where they had landed in the parking lot and quickly spotted them… right under a motorcycle. She grinned as a new plan formed in her mind.

Retrieving her heels and putting them back on, she threw one leg over the motorcycle and took a seat on it - thankfully, her skirt was loose enough that she didn't have to hike it up in an unladylike manner. Locating the ignition cap, she removed it and attempted to hotwire the bike. After a couple minutes, the machine roared to life beneath her. "Now that's what I'm talking about," she smirked.

Anna revved the engine once and got ready to go tearing down the asphalt.

" _STOP!_ " someone yelled as they jumped out in front of her, bracing both hands against the motorcycle's handlebars.

"Get out of my way! I need to find someone, fast!" Anna snapped, nudging the bike forward slightly. She just wanted to scare him, not actually run him over. But he didn't budge.

"Well then go find them, but leave my bike out of it!" he growled back.

Anna scowled and took a good look at the boy blocking her way for the first time. He looked familiar - definitely a student at her school. He was blonde, tall, and burly. "Hey… you're the guy in charge of all those losers and crazies."

"Says the girl who's trying to steal my bike and whose sister has weird, magical ice powers," he shot back. Seeing as Anna was no longer twisting the throttle, he shifted his focus to his motorcycle. "You okay, buddy?" He ran a hand over its windshield, then pressed his cheek against it. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"I'm sorry, are you talking to your bike?" Anna asked, crooking an eyebrow. "You know it can't talk back, right?"

"Yes, I'm talking to Sven. You got a problem with that?"

She snorted. " _Sven?_ Who names their bike Sven?"

He glared at her. "I do. Now get off!"

She paused, meeting his gaze steadily, thinking. She then said, "Alright, we've established the bike's name is Sven. Now what's _your_ name?"

He looked taken aback. Apparently, he had not expected that question. He hesitated before answering, "Kristoff."

"Alright. Kristoff. Nice to meet you, I'm Anna." She reached a hand out over the windshield and after a second, he warily shook it. "Now, Kristoff," she said, placing her hand back on the throttle, "Sven and I are going to go look for my sister, end of discussion." The motorcycle roared again and Kristoff somehow just knew this time that if he didn't move, he'd be roadkill. He jumped out of the way just as she sped over the bit of asphalt he had just been standing on.

However, she came to a screeching stop a few yards away and looked over her shoulder back at him and grinned. "The only question is, are you coming with us or not?"

Kristoff blinked. After a few seconds, he finally nodded and ran up to her. As he reached for the handlebars, she waggled a finger at him. "Oh no. Let you drive and give you the chance to abandon me? I don't think so. You're riding bitch."

He rolled his eyes, but didn't argue for some reason. "At least wear a helmet," he grumbled as he unlocked his from the bike and handed it to her. She took it from him with a bright smile and strapped it on. He slid onto the motorcycle behind her and, with a bit of awkwardness, wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hold on tight!" her muffled voice came from within the helmet, before she burned rubber down into the alleyway.

* * *

Not far from the school, a quiet street stood empty in the moonlight. A sleek, black Rolls-Royce turned the the corner and crept silently along like a shadow through the night. Adorning the front of its hood was a small silver statue in the shape of a raven, its eyes seemingly illuminated in the night. The car came to a stop next to a curb and its headlights went dark. Then it waited.

A few minutes later, a figure approached the car. It glanced around quickly to ensure no one uninvited was witness to their meeting, then lightly tapped on the tinted glass of the backseat window. It rolled down a few inches. The car's interior was obscured in darkness and not much could be seen, but one could spot a pair of hands resting atop a cane. The hands were pale and had long, graceful fingers. One of them wore a gold ring with a huge, oval onyx in it. Crowning the cane was a gem that was a sickly green color that almost seemed to glow.

"You have news for me?" a woman's voice came from beyond the window, languid and commanding.

"You were right," the figure responded. It was male. "She is powerful. Possibly even more powerful than originally predicted."

"You witnessed it?"

He nodded. "She practically tore apart the gym and nearly killed-"

"Where is she?" she interrupted impatiently.

"…she ran," he answered reluctantly. He then quickly added, "But I'll find her."

"See that you do and bring her to me using any means necessary. Bring her willingly if the opportunity presents itself, but if she resists…"

"Understood." The figure paused before adding, "There's something else."

"Oh?"

"I've been observing her sister as well… I think she has potential to be one of the seven."

She was silent, mulling over what he had said. "How interesting… bring her as well."

"Of course." He shifted his feet as if he was about to leave, but paused once more. "And I…?"

"Yes, yes. You will have what you desire, as long as you succeed." The window glided shut, signaling the end of the conversation.

"Thank you!" he replied before running off and disappearing into the shadows.

The Rolls-Royce roared back to life and, like a predator on the prowl, slid smoothly off into the twilight.

* * *

A snowstorm was raging around her, shredding and eating away at everything in its path. The only thing it seemed to leave untouched was Elsa, sitting at the eye of the storm, legs bent and pressed up against her chest and hands over her head, fingers digging into her hair and scalp. She had no idea where she was, the flurry around her obscuring everything a few feet away in a murky white. What was visible was unrecognizable - just another dead end in the labyrinth of the city she called home.

Time had lost all meaning to her. After fleeing her school, she wasn't sure how long she had run, and after that, how long she had walked. She hadn't paid any attention to where she was going, just turning corners here and there, avoiding any signs or sounds possibly indicating someone approaching her. She didn't remember when she had stopped walking, when she had just sat on the ground, nor how long she had been resting there. The snow and ice surrounding her had been light and gentle at first, but she hadn't noticed when it had started either. Nor had she paid any attention to it as it quickly grew in intensity, becoming the full blown blizzard it was now.

All that kept playing over and over again in her mind was the disaster. The giant, deadly frozen spikes rupturing the stage platform, the knife-like shards of ice ripping through the air, the look of horror and disgust in everyone's eyes as they had looked at her, like some monstrosity born from nightmares come to life. The anger in the voices of Hans' brothers - _oh god, Hans!_ The memory of his body, devoid of life and with blood on his face, assaulted her mind. What had she done? Was he okay? Was he even alive? _Please be alive, Hans!_ How could she possibly ever ask him for forgiveness? How could she ever even _face_ him again?

Or… or Anna? What was going through her head right now? Did she feel scared or confused? Angry? Betrayed? Did she hate her now? Had she told their parents? Damn, her parents! What would they do when they found out?

For that matter, what would everyone else do? They knew her secret now! They all knew! What must they think of her? They were probably rallying with fire and pitchforks right now to hunt her down like some beast rampaging through their city. No... maybe that was a bit too medieval. Maybe instead they'd call the police, and it'd eventually reach the government, and they'd come take her away and perform experiments on her. She shivered, and it had nothing to do with the subzero temperatures.

 _What am I going to do?_

Suddenly, a sound caught Elsa's attention. It was a mystery how she heard it above the howling of the storm, how she knew it was out of place, an oddity, but somehow she did. She rose slowly to her feet, looking towards the entrance leading into the dead end street, the blizzard making it nearly impossible to see. "Hello?" she called out, her voice thin.

No one answered her call.

She narrowed her eyes, took a step forward and tried again, her voice stronger this time. "Is anyone there?"

Still nothing. At least, at first. It was hard to tell, but a shape that wasn't there seconds before was slowly becoming more distinct. A figure. A person, or rather a silhouette of a person in the flurry. Her worries and fears momentarily forgotten, Elsa squinted, trying to make out who it was that was approaching her. They didn't break through the veil of snow until they were a few feet away from her.

Slender and tall. Red Converse. Jeans. Black hoodie. Pale green eyes. Red hair.

Her eyes widened. _Him!_ The storm immediately froze to a stop around her. The snowflakes went dead still in the air, as if suspended in time. Absolute silence reigned.

He spared a brief glance at the odd scene before him, then his gaze settled on her once more. He slowly raised a hand towards her. "Don't be afraid-"

" _You!_ " she snarled, the blizzard suddenly, violently coming back to life. Instead of swirling around her now though, it blew in one direction, rushing towards him. He staggered back from the assault and had to lean into it to keep from falling over, his hair whipping wildly in the current. After a few seconds, he even managed to fight against the strong wind and take a step towards her, small though it was.

"Don't come near me!" Elsa shouted, backing away to maintain the distance between them, not requiring nearly as much exertion to move as he had.

After another few seconds, he managed with effort to plant another foot closer to her. "I'm here to help you!" he called, his words nearly drowned out by the torrent.

She let loose a sharp, almost bitter laugh. " _Help?_ What makes you think you could help me?" She whipped her hand out, a fan of ice shards shooting from her fingertips towards him. He lifted an arm to shield his face. The few that hit him had no effect, not even tearing at his clothes. In fact, they just seemed to evaporate. She blinked at that.

"I know what you're going through!" he replied, managing to take several steps towards her this time.

She realized the wind blast wasn't going to be enough to stop him. "How could you possibly know?" she demanded, desperately trying to figure out some other way to protect herself as she continued to be backed into a corner.

"Because-" he began, but was interrupted as a thick ice wall burst up from the ground between them, several yards high and spanning from wall to wall of the alleyway.

She harrumphed and nodded firmly at the barrier she had erected. _There! Get past that!_ Elsa could _s_ ee him on the other side, the ice blurring him into distorted shapes and colors. He was just standing there, probably assessing this new obstacle.

Feeling like she could relax now, she pressed her back against the dead end's wall and slid down to sit on the ground once more. She hugged her legs to her chest and planted her chin on her knees, watching him. He lifted his arms, pressing his palms against the ice. She raised an eyebrow at that. _What is he trying to do, push it down? Good luck with that._

Elsa watched him a moment more, then lost interest when nothing seemed to be happening. There was no way he was getting in, he'd have to leave eventually. She rearranged her arms so they crossed over her knees, then cushioned her brow against her forearms, shutting out what little light there was. She had but a moment's respite in the welcome blackness before the memories, the fears started creeping back in.

What was she going to do? What could she possibly even do? Was there something, _anything_ at all that could be done to fix the colossal mess she had made of her life? No answers came to her. Her eyes began to water.

Something brushed against her elbow.

With a start, she snapped her head up. The redhead was directly in front of her, his long legs bent in a crouch, his fingers hovering over her elbow now, but no longer touching it. Up close, his eyes were noticeably outlined in a thick black. Eyeliner? She stared at him, mouth agape. _How?! How did he get through?_ She looked past him to find her ice wall still stood, but a hole - no, more like a door - appeared to have melted its way into it. She looked from him to it and then back to him again, her lips moving, but no words coming out. Her fear and distrust of him was temporarily gone, having been replaced with complete befuddlement.

Finally, she managed to whisper, "How did you do that?"

He held out his hand towards her, palm up. "We're not so different," he said simply, before snapping his fingers. They sparked and a flame flared up, barely a few inches tall, cozily floating above his fingertips. His skin seem unscathed by the fire.

Elsa stared at it in wonder, before saying slowly, "You're… like me?" He nodded. She tilted her head to one side. "Who are you?"

He gave her a half smirk. "Axel. Got it memorized?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Special thanks to **Rin** for reviewing my story, you don't know how happy it made me to get my first review, I practically passed out from hyperventilating xD Thanks to everyone else who's read this far, hope you are enjoying it, things are about to pick up and fast! Next chapter will be up in about a week!


	4. Chapter 4

"Axel..." she repeated his name slowly with a nod. "I'm-"

"Elsa. I know," he finished for her. When she just stared at him, he elaborated, "I doubt there are many who don't know about _Queen_ Elsa _._ "

That was right. He had been at the dance too, when they had announced her name through the speakers and had crowned her Prom Queen. She blushed faintly in embarrassment. Then, having been reminded of the dance, she asked, "Is Hans okay?"

Her tilted his head to one side. "Who?"

"You know. _King_ Hans."

"Oh, you mean your boyfriend? The guy you nearly shish-kabobed? I don't know, I didn't stay long enough to find out." Upon seeing her hang her head, he added, "Sorry."

She looked up again. She frowned and leaned ever so slightly away from him. "What do you want with me?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You followed me here. Maybe that's just because of…" she paused with a wince, thinking once again of the display she had put on at the gym, "… of what happened. But this started even before that. You have been showing up around me a lot lately. Staring at me."

Scratching the back of his head, he said, "I have been doing that, haven't I?"

"It was kind of creepy."

"Sorry," he looked down and shrugged. "I guess… just some part of me knew that you were different. Different like I was different. I… can't explain it any better than that."

She peered at him a moment more, as if she could glean the truth just by looking at him. Then she sighed. She could accept that answer… for now. Elsa's eyes shifted to Axel's right hand, in which the little flame was still merrily burning away. "How do you do that?"

He shrugged again. "The same way you do, I guess."

She reached a finger out towards it, as if to test if it were real and not just some trick. "Can you only do fire?" she asked, before letting out a soft hiss and quickly snatching her hand back. It was real alright, at least enough to nearly burn her.

Axel waved his hand from side to side, extinguishing the flame. "Yup. What about you? Just ice and snow?"

"I-" she cut herself off and blinked, before beginning again, saying slowly, "I think so."

"You don't know?"

Elsa hesitated before responding, "I've actually never really given it much thought. I never wanted to. I just wanted this power - no, this _curse_ \- to go away. The idea had never even crossed my mind to explore it, to see if there was anything else I could do." The thought that she might be able to do more, something she didn't know about, something potentially even more destructive, made her stomach churn. She wanted to change the subject, fast.

"How long?" she asked, but he shook his head, not understanding her question. "Have you been like this? Been… the way we are?"

"…since birth."

"And you can control it?"

Axel nodded. "Now I can. But I couldn't at first. I had help."

Her breath caught in her throat. "Who?"

He started tracing his finger through the snow at their feet, doodling indecipherable shapes. "An… organization of sorts."

"Are there others in this organization? Others like us? Is that why they could help you?"

"Yeah, there are others," he replied.

She clasped a hand to her mouth, emotion welling up within her. She lowered it enough to say, "I thought I was alone. I thought I was the only one like this. But then there was you, and… and now your organization." Her chest felt practically ready to burst. "Are there a lot?"

He shook his head. "Not that many. But enough."

Elsa opened her mouth to ask another question, but snapped it shut again. She began to chew her bottom lip, afraid she wouldn't get the answer she wanted. But she'd never know if she didn't ask. "Do you think… would they be able to help me too?"

"Help you control it? You don't seem to be having a problem right now."

For the first time, Elsa realized that the blizzard had subsided. A few snowflakes were still falling here and there, but those too, for the most part, were gone. Nothing remained of the tumult from before besides the blankets of cold, white powder on the ground and a breeze that may have been a few degrees too chilly for summer.

"I guess you've been doing a good job of keeping me distracted," she murmured. "But it's not always like this. Clearly, since you saw what happened in the gym. I have gloves I normally wear that usually keep my power in check." She looked at her bare hands. She never had managed to retrieve the one Hans had gotten a hold of. And she wasn't sure what had happened to the other one… it was possible it had just blown away in the earlier storm. "I'm not sure if they actually physically do anything, or if it's all in my head. And if I start thinking about it too much… if I get surprised, or scared, or angry-"

Axel's hand on her shoulder made her stop. She had begun to babble, getting stressed by the mere idea of losing control of her emotions and the effect that had. She glanced from his hand, to him. He smiled at her. "Yes, they can help you. They'll train you. You'll have command over abilities before you know it."

"Really?" She could hardly bring herself to hope. What she really wanted was to be entirely rid of the power, but being able to control it… it was at least the next best thing.

"Absolutely," he nodded, standing up and stretching. He then offered her a hand to help her up.

She almost took it, then stopped herself before their skin touched. No. She still couldn't control it, not yet. She didn't want to freeze his fingers solid. She rose to her feet on her own, patting her dress down to dislodge any snow that clung to it. If Axel was confused by her rejecting his assistance, he didn't show it.

A thought then came to her mind, and Elsa frowned at him. "How do I know I can trust you?"

He considered her question for a moment, then gave her another shrug. "I guess you don't. All I can say is that I want to help you. It's up to you whether you want to believe me or not."

Elsa leaned her head to one side as she considered him. Oh, she wanted to believe him, there was no doubt about that. But was it wise to? It certainly seemed too good to be true. But if it was true… how amazing would that be? To no longer be scared, to finally be able to touch someone and not worry that she might hurt them. And if it wasn't true…

Well, at least she certainly wasn't defenseless… maybe her abilities would come in handy for the first time ever. But then, what if he had been telling the truth about there being others like them. Others who actually knew what they were doing with their supernatural gifts. They probably could easily overpower her. What if-

"Uh oh," Axel's voice interrupted the debate going on in her mind. He was looking over his shoulder, through the makeshift door he had melted into her ice wall.

She followed his gaze, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "What is it?"

He pointed. "Those shadows. They're moving."

It took another second of watching, but finally she saw it. Circular, black silhouettes flat against the stark white snow, creeping through the ice archway. There was nothing casting those shadows.

Suddenly, the one in front erupted and took physical form. It was that same creature that had attacked her from before! The little beast of darkness with the glowing yellow eyes and the crooked antenna. Several more burst up behind it from the rest of the strange shadows.

Great. It seemed it had brought friends to the party this time.

"Looks like your training starts now, kiddo," Axel said. The creature with the mangled antenna, which seemed to be their leader, crouched low.

"Lesson one," he continued as it launched itself at them impossibly fast, spindly fingers outstretched. Axel swept one of his long legs out into a side kick, hitting it square in the guts - assuming the thing had any. It went flying into a brick wall and slid down to the ground. "Slaughter these things."

Elsa's hands quaked and she shook her head. "What are they?"

"Heartless," he answered, not taking his eyes off of them. They were currently huddled together, seemingly to rally courage for their assault. "They started showing up about a year ago. Rare at first, but their numbers have been increasing. They hunt down people and steal their hearts from them. Use them to make more Heartless."

She gasped. "Those used to be human?"

He shrugged. "Sorta. Whatever they used to be, they certainly are not anymore."

"What brought them here?"

"The darkness in people's hearts. It draws them." He spared a glance at her out of the corner of his eyes. "They came here for you."

"Me?" she said, her voice small.

"Well, you weren't exactly a happy camper a few minutes ago."

She swallowed hard. The leader had now broken out of its daze and seemed to send some sort of silent command to the others. They slipped back into the ground, flat shadows against the snow again, before swiftly surrounding Axel and Elsa and re-emerging into full form. Elsa pointed. "The one with the crooked, zigzag antenna. That one. It attacked me earlier. I thought I might have accidentally killed it, but I guess I just scared it off."

He nodded. "Well then, you deal with Ziggy. I'll handle the rest."

"What do you mean, deal with? What exactly do you expect me to do?" she asked incredulously.

"You know." He smiled and waggled his fingers. "Your stuff."

Elsa slowly, reluctantly mirrored his gesture by raising her hands. She then yelped and leapt back as a thick stream of fire blasted out of Axel's palm and jet past her, narrowly missing her by inches, before it struck one of those little monsters and burnt it to a crisp.

As if a starting pistol had been shot, the remaining Heartless sprung in unison into the air towards them. Heart pounding, her hands suddenly seemed to have minds of their own as they snapped up and whipped through the air in arcs, first her left, then her right. Frigid gales flew from her palms, flinging half the Heartless in one direction, and hurling the rest in the other.

"Sweet," Axel said, giving her the thumbs up before his sights zeroed in on one of the Heartless scrabbling to regain its footing. He snapped his fingers and it simply burst into flames.

She stared at her hands in awe for a moment before clenching them into fists. _I can do this!_ Elsa spotted the newly dubbed Ziggy after a quick glance around. It had recovered and lowered on its haunches, preparing to pounce again. She took a deep breath and lifted her fingers towards it, projecting out a barrage of icicles. It easily dodged and started running on all fours. She followed its movement with her fingers, keeping the rapid fire of frozen skewers going, but the creature was too fast. They just shattered uselessly in its wake.

She _tsked_ in annoyance, then decided on a different tactic. She waved her arm towards a spot just ahead of it and in its path a sheet of ice hardened on the ground. It tried to alter its course, but this time it did not react quickly enough. It hit the slick surface and slipped, landing right on its face and sliding several feet further. Elsa chuckled in triumph.

Her victory was short lived as Ziggy immediately recovered, bouncing back up onto its feet. It seemed it was through playing games, as it hardly waited a heartbeat before propelling itself at her. With a squeak, she frantically flicked her wrist and winter gusts threw the beast off its trajectory just enough for her to duck to the side and have it fly past her shoulder.

Elsa straightened up once more, turning to look for where it had landed. What she found was that most of the other Heartless had been destroyed already, with only a few left scrambling in an attempt to take the upper hand. She watched as Axel merely lifted his chin towards one of them before it was incinerated in a column of flame that erupted from the snow at its feet.

Out of the corner of her eye, a blur of splotchy blackness was launching itself at her. She barely had time to react, throwing her hands up between her and her attacker. A glacial wall shot straight up from the ground before her and smoothed into an arch over her head just as Ziggy hit it hard, cracking the ice even as it solidified. It somehow clung to the cold surface, staring at her through it with its eerie glowing eyes, twitching its misshapen antenna at her.

Scowling back at it, she pressed her fingers to her newly made barrier, and Ziggy sidestepped just as an ice spike grew out where it had just been standing. Elsa concentrated and another spike shot up under it, but again it scuttled out of the way. It swiftly moved up the surface as she tried again and again, always missing, but getting closer each time. It was just about to reach the end of her blockade, just about to be able to fall right on top of her, when it was her last spike that did it. Ziggy stopped mid step as the icicle lanced out and skewered it right through the chest. The Heartless twitched, then evaporated into a puff a black smoke leaving no trace of its existence behind.

Elsa blinked in disbelief for a few seconds, before finally, "Ha! I did it! Did you see? I-"

A sudden tight grip around her wrist wrenched her off her feet. In a flash, Axel had positioned himself in front of her, placing his body between her and a Heartless she had not seen leaping towards her. His other hand shot up and he caught the monster by the face. It wriggled its arms indignantly a few times before it was engulfed in a ball of fire. When the blaze extinguished a few seconds later, Axel's hand was empty.

That was the the last of them. Using his jeans to wipe the ash off his hand, Axel turned to her with grin, then looked down to where he was still holding onto her wrist. He released her, saying, "Sorry. For yanking ya around and all."

"It's okay," she responded softly, rubbing her wrist. "It didn't hurt. And you saved me."

"Then do you trust me now?"

She smiled. "It's a start."

He nodded and propped his knuckles against his hips. "You seemed pretty in control of your powers just now when you kicked that Heartless's ass."

"I did, didn't I?" Elsa agreed. "It's easier when I don't have to hide it... when I don't have to worry about hurting someone. When I can just let it go and see what I can do. It's rather liberating, actually."

"Now just imagine what it'd be like with the training my group could provide you. You'd have complete mastery over your element and wouldn't have to fear harming anyone ever again."

"Would be nice..." she admitted. Could it be possible? She hardly dared to hope. "What about the Heartless? Was that the last of them?"

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Who knows? Could be. For now at least. They'll always be attracted to the darkness that resides in the heart. Negative emotions. If you continue to be afraid of who you are, what you can do, then they'll be back sooner or later. Which is another good reason for you to come with me. We can help you control your abilities. We can take away your fear. The Heartless will never bother you again."

She bit her lower lip as she considered his words. Finally, she said, "Alright. I'll go with you. But," she warned, "if you do anything I don't like..."

"I won't. I only have the best intentions." His fingers mimed marking an X over his chest and he raised his other hand. "Cross my heart."

"Okay. But I need to do something first before I go to meet this organization of yours. I need to stop by my house."

Axel raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"I need to tell my family what's going on. They've probably been told what happened by now and are most likely confused and scared and don't understand. I never told them anything, about any of this. I just need to explain to them what's going on, that I'm going to fix this. They need to hear it from me. Besides, they're probably worried sick about what happened to me."

"Can't you just call them?"

She shook her head. "I left my phone at the dance. Didn't exactly have time to grab it. This is something I should do in person anyway. Besides, I need to stop by my room and change. I can't exactly keep running around like this." She gestured down towards her prom dress.

He looked her up and down. "Why not? You look nice."

She gave a dry laugh. "Thanks, but that's not what I meant. I need something more practical. And I have more gloves in my room, I'd like to pick up another pair."

"You don't need them. Not anymore."

"Yes," she said firmly, looking him squarely in the eyes, "I do."

He looked away with a harrumph. "If you say so. Fine, we'll make a quick stop by your place." He stretched his arm out towards the dead end's only exit. "Lead the way."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Special thanks to **digitalstorm977,** **Miss PandaManga,** **shinyx2** , **Juuromaru** ,and **toastwhisperer** , for reviewing the last chapter, you guys...adslkfjasldfjlsakdfj! You just make me want to burst out into song! And thanks so much to everyone else who's been reading my story! Next chapter will be up in about a week :)


	5. Chapter 5

The snow crunched cheerily under Elsa's shoes. Though she wore flimsy slippers, her feet did not feel the chill seeping into them. She did not feel cold anywhere else for that matter, despite the fact that she was hardly dressed for the winter weather. It seemed that being able to withstand below zero temperatures was a part of her powers.

While the blizzard had subsided for the most part when Elsa had gotten a hold of herself, gentle snowflakes were still lazily drifting down from the sky with cool breezes picking up here and there. She suspected it was just residual and that everything would slowly heat back up soon. Like her, Axel seemed unaffected by the current climate, a fact that Elsa was fascinated by. True, he had his hoodie, but it hardly looked thick enough to keep him warm in this weather. Perhaps his fire powers kept him innately toasty no matter where he was.

The two of them had been walking for about ten minutes now through the city, trudging through six inch deep snow. It had not taken them long to recognize some street names and figure out where they were and which direction to go. They were forced to travel by foot, as Axel did not own a car and Elsa had gotten a ride to the dance with Hans, and she was most certainly not about to go back to the school. For one, she did not not know what sort of greeting was waiting for her if the rest of her classmates were still around, and for another, she was not about to steal Hans' car. The walk to her home was not that far anyway.

She and Axel had been walking in companionable silence. Elsa was the first to break it. "So, how do you know so much about the Heartless?"

He glanced at her briefly before looking straight ahead again as they continued along. "That group I told you about. They taught me about them."

"That organization of yours? They certainly seem to know a lot."

Shrugging, he responded, "I suppose so."

"How did you meet them?" she asked.

He crunched a few more footsteps into the snow before answering, "They found me when I needed them. When I was going through a rough time in my life."

"When your mother died?" The question slipped out of Elsa's mouth before she even realized she was asking it, and she clamped her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I mean, I heard a rumor, but it... it wasn't my place to- I'm so sorry, I-"

"It's okay. Really," he cut her off, giving her a small smile. "My mother did die. And yes, I met them shortly after that. I was... lost. Angry. Not in a good place. They helped me... get past those emotions. Helped me get rid of the pain. They gave me purpose."

"...I'm glad you were able to have someone there for you," Elsa said. It was all she could think to say. She felt bad for what Axel had gone through, but she never knew what to say in these kind of situations. As for what he had said about the organization, in truth, she still didn't know what to think of them. They were still quite the mystery. She knew very little about them, except that they were supposedly the answer to all her problems.

Deciding to shift back to what she felt was a safer topic, she asked, "What do you think happens to the Heartless?"

"What happens...?"

"When they are attacked and vanish in a puff a smoke?"

Axel walked for a little bit without saying anything, then shrugged. "I dunno. Die, I guess."

"Can they actually die though?" she wondered, looking down. "And if so, what happens to the hearts they capture? What-"

Her words were disrupted as she came to a sudden stop and looked back over her shoulder. Axel strode a couple more steps ahead of her before halting and turning to quirk an eyebrow at her. "What's wrong?"

"I thought I heard something," she whispered, listening for the sound again. Perhaps it had just been the wind playing tricks.

But no, there it was again. It was a voice. She took a step towards it, straining to hear it. It sounded again, closer and a single word. Elsa frowned, "...are they saying my name?"

A few more seconds passed before it called out once more, louder and clearer. "Elsa, where are you?"

Her eyes widened. She recognized that voice! No... it couldn't be. Could it? She began to walk towards it, he knees wobbling, before she broke into a run.

"Elsa! Can you hear me?"

"Hans!" she yelled back. "I'm here! Hans!"

There was a pause where all that could be heard were Elsa's footsteps as she sprinted, trying not to stumble over her dress or the thick blankets of snow. Then, a few yards ahead of her, Hans emerged from the murky, snowy haze. He tripped upon seeing her, but he stood up in time for Elsa to throw herself into his arms.

"Elsa! You're safe! I was so worried," he said, his words muffled into her hair.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she pulled away to look up at him. "You're okay! I thought I'd killed you!"

He grinned and shook his head. He was still in his tux, which was a little wrinkled but no worse for wear. His hair was disheveled, and there was a bandage on the side of his face where he had been bleeding before. "No, no, I'm fine. I'm sorry I scared you."

" _You're_ sorry?" she asked incredulously. "No, I'm sorry! Sorry for what I did to you, sorry for not telling you about everything sooner. You must think I'm a monster! I'm sorry, I-"

He hushed her. "You have nothing to apologize for, and I most certainly don't think you're a monster. I won't say I wasn't surprised. But we have all the time in the world to talk about it now."

Her heart swelled. Was she dreaming? He was being so understanding about something so… so _insane!_ Why hadn't she told him about her powers before? Why hadn't she trusted him? This whole mess could have been avoided. "What about your brothers? They were so mad. They had reason to be, but I didn't mean to-"

"I know you didn't. Don't worry about them, I've taken care of them."

"But what about everyone else at the dance? They know my secret too now. What'll we do if-"

"It's okay. You have nothing to fear, I'll protect you. Besides, it's not as bad as you think it-" he stopped, his eye suddenly caught by something over her shoulder.

She turned her head and saw Axel, towering over her and staring impassively at Hans. Elsa felt her boyfriend's arms tighten protectively around her. "Who's he?" Hans asked.

Axel smirked. "Someone you should feel threatened by."

"Axel!" Elsa hissed before looking at Hans again. "Ignore that, he's only kidding around. This is Axel. After I ran away from the gym, I got into a bit of trouble. He rescued me."

The redhead gave a mocking bow. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty," he said.

Hans blinked at him, and Elsa explained, "You're Prom King, remember?"

He took a step back, pulling Elsa with him and putting some more space between them and Axel. Lowering his voice, he asked, "What are you doing with this guy?"

"I told you, he saved me. We're on our way back to my house so I can change clothes and explain everything to my family, but after that he's going to take me to some people who understand my powers, who can help me with them. They have people like me there. Axel is like me."

His head snapped up at that. "You mean he has powers too?" He eyed Axel warily out of the corner of his eye. "What can he do?"

Axel tipped his head forward. "You might want to check your sleeve there."

Hans narrowed his eyes, then did as he was told. A small, amber flame had begun merrily burning away at his cuff. With a start, he swatted at it, but it was stubborn and refused to be put out. Hans yanked his jacket off and started swatting it in the snow. With a few wisps of smoke, it finally smothered out.

"Axel!" Elsa yelled again as he whistled innocently behind her. He stopped then just shrugged at her. "I'm sorry about him, Hans. Are you okay?"

"Fine," he grumbled, glaring at the burn marks on his jacket before turning his gaze on her again. "Fire powers? You're hanging around a guy with _fire_ powers? You shouldn't trust him, he could be putting you in danger."

"Perhaps _her_ safety is not the one you should be worrying about," Axel muttered.

Ignoring him, Elsa said to Hans, "But his friends might be able to help me."

"But what do you really know about his friends? Just what he's told you? What if they're not really who he says they are? What if they want to harm you, or worse?"

His words reflected her own fears that she had yet to voice. However, hearing them echoed back to her out loud now only seemed to make her more stubborn. For some reason, she was suddenly more certain of her decision and was not ready to give up on it. "And what if I can legitimately get a handle on my powers with their assistance? Isn't it worth the risk? I think it is. I want to take that chance."

Hans sighed. "I don't like this... and I don't like _him_ ," he lifted his chin towards Axel.

"Aw, now you've gone and hurt my feelings," Axel teased.

"You don't have to like him," Elsa said gently. "You don't even have to trust him. Just trust me. This is something I need to do. Come with us. You can keep me safe."

Hans grimaced, peering at Axel once more, who waggled his fingers at him in a wave. He then sighed again and said, "Alright. Let's get this over with."

She smiled up at him and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you. This means a lot to me." She then began to walk, tugging on Hans' sleeve to pull him along with her, Axel following behind them. They did not get far before a thought struck Elsa. "Oh, right. There's one other thing you should know about: Heartless."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Special thanks to **Juuromaru** and **shinyx2** for reviewing the last chapter, you guys are just so freaking amazing! And thanks so much to everyone else who's been reading my story so far! Next chapter will be up in about a week :)


	6. Chapter 6

They were nearing Elsa's home now. It was only a few more blocks away. There was still a light snow falling and the blankets of white it was leaving on the road were not as deep in this part of the city, but it was still showing no sign of clearing up. Elsa had finished filling Hans in on everything she knew about the Heartless, which admittedly was not much, even when she revealed what really had happened at the library the day before.

They all walked side-by-side now with Elsa in the middle, separating the two boys, who seemed to have mutually come to some unspoken agreement not to talk to each other. Or talk at all for that matter. Elsa was finding the silence rather uncomfortable, but could not think of anything to say. They clearly did not like each other, though she could not see why. She understood Hans' skepticism about Axel, but could he not give him the benefit of the doubt, at least for her sake? And could he at least give some attempt at being civil in the meantime? As for Axel, she had no idea what the deal was with his sudden attitude.

The trio were nearing a set of train tracks. As they approached it, the warning bell started ringing above them, alerting them to stay off the tracks. Elsa looked down the rail and saw the light of a locomotive still a ways off, but quickly advancing in their direction. It seemed that a little thing like a snowstorm in the middle of summer was not going to deter the trains from keeping to their schedules. The teenagers still had time to cross before it reached them, or at least Hans decided so as he took a few steps forward into the middle of the tracks. He then turned and stretched out his arm to help Elsa across.

Elsa looked at the oncoming train again, then placed her hand on Hans' sleeve and gingerly stepping over the metal bar of the tracks. She crossed the wooden plank with Hans guiding her and they were shortly on the other side. Elsa looked back and saw that Axel was still on the opposite side of the tracks and hadn't budged an inch.

"Axel, what are you doing? Come on," Elsa called. Hans just watched without saying anything.

Axel was still for a second more, then he shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped out onto the tracks. However, when he got to the middle, he stopped again and just stood there in the path of the train.

Elsa began to panic. "If this is some sort of game, stop it right now! This isn't funny!"

His feet still didn't move from where he had planted them. His head turned, studying the approaching train as it began to light up his face. A few seconds more and he'd be flattened by it. _What is he thinking?!_

All of a sudden, he lunged forward and hooked his hand in the crook of Elsa's elbow and leapt backwards, pulling her with him. She heard Hans shouting in surprise, saw the train speeding towards her, approaching far too quickly. Then she was out of its path and it was racing past her in a blur, whipping about strands of her hair that had come loose from her bun. She was shaking, bits of frost forming where her fingernails had dug into Axel's hoodie. It took her a few seconds to realize the two of them were now on one side of the track while Hans was on the other, the rushing train separating them from each other. The loud clinking of its wheels against the rail had drowned out Hans' yelling.

"Come on, let's go," she barely heard Axel say over the loud thudding of her heart. He had his hand on her wrist and he tried to lead her away. Taking that first step though seemed to break Elsa out of her daze and she dug her heels into the ground.

" _No!"_ she snapped, yanking her arm out of his grasp, glaring up at him. She then banged her fist against his shoulder.

He flinched. "Ow, what was that for?"

"You know damn well what that was for!" Elsa said, whipping her hand back to indicate the train. "What the _hell_ was that all about?!" she demanded,

Axel glanced at the boxcars zipping by, rubbed his hand against the back of his neck, then looked back down at Elsa. He shrugged.

"Don't give me that! You could have murdered us both with that stunt! What was going through your head?" Still, Axel didn't respond, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "You've been acting really strange ever since Hans showed up. What is this, some weird sort of macho thing?"

He seemed to consider that for a second, then nodded his head vigorously. "Yes."

"Bull," Elsa snapped, and Axel frowned. "Tell me what's really going on. Now."

"I… just figured it'd be safer if we went on without him. Safer for you, and for him," he explained.

She crossed her arms and said, "So you wanted to ditch him? Just like that? Not happening. Not even if you had explained this up front, which by the way, is how a _sane_ person would have handled this." She huffed and turned away, waiting for the train to finish passing. The two stood in silence for a few seconds.

"…I don't trust him."

Elsa blinked and looked at Axel again. "What?"

"I don't trust him," he repeated. "And you shouldn't either."

Her mouth hung agape. "Are you kidding me? You and I practically just met, and you're telling me I can't trust my own _boyfriend_? I have much less reason to trust you, especially with the way you've been acting."

"I just have a sense about these things. There's something not right about him," Axel muttered as he stepped up beside her. "Just… be careful. Watch your back."

She stared at him. What he was saying was ridiculous, absolutely preposterous. And yet… she suddenly felt less certain...

The caboose of the train chose that moment to glide past and disappear into the night. Hans was waiting and leapt over the tracks, pulling her into his arms. "Elsa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered haltingly. Axel's words bounced around in her head and she found she couldn't bring herself to tell Hans what they had talked about. She in fact couldn't figure out what to say at all. "I… that is, Axel, he- ah…"

"I saw a mouse on the tracks and got scared," Axel explained with a smirk. "I needed Elsa to protect me."

Hans scowled at him. "Idiot." He then slipped his arm around Elsa's shoulder and guided her across the railway again. They said nothing else as they trekked on. After a minute, Elsa looked back over her shoulder. Axel walked a few feet behind them, hands in pockets once more, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

And still, she couldn't get what he had said out of her mind.

* * *

A motorcycle with two passengers turned the corner and roared down an otherwise empty road. It slowed and pulled up next to where another road crossed it. The driver brought the bike to a full stop and then shut it down. The bike shuddered and went still, its headlight dimming.

Anna unhooked the helmet from her chin and took it off, the bun her auburn hair looking quite frazzled. She kicked her leg over and got off the bike, tossing the helmet to her passenger.

Kristoff caught it with a soft grunt _._ He then looked around and asked, "Why are we stopping here?"

"Because the fog and snow looks thicker here, don't they?" she replied.

His eyebrows knit together. "That's what you said about the other places."

"Yah, but this time I mean it."

He rolled his eyes and got off his bike as well. "So then why did you say it before if you didn't mean it?"

She looked back at him and grinned. "So you wouldn't argue while I investigated."

The two of them had been searching for Elsa for a while now. With no real trail or clues to follow, Anna had just been resorting to trying to cover as much ground as possible in a short amount of time and hoping to get lucky. Not wanting to rely solely on chance however, she had stopped at a few places that had seemed like they would be likely spots for Elsa to retreat to and hide. But so far, there had been no sign of her sister.

It was true however that the winter weather did seem more dense in their current location. Like they had possibly found where the heart of the storm was… or had been anyway, since it had died down quite a bit. It wasn't such a big stretch to think that Elsa might be nearby.

"It seems to be coming from this dead end," Anna called, peering down the alley. It was too murky to discern anything more than a few feet ahead of them however without entering. "Come on!"

Kristoff locked his helmet to his motorcycle, then ran his fingers lovingly over the windshield. "We'll be right back, buddy. Don't you worry."

"Oh my _god_ , it doesn't have feelings!"

He clapped his hands over its rear view mirrors and muttered, "Don't listen to her, Sven. She's just jealous!"

"It doesn't have ears either! Now get your ass over here," Anna commanded, placing her hands on her hips as she waited for him.

Giving Sven one more reassuring pat, he plodded over to join Anna and they began the trek down the road.

"So," Kristoff said, "where did a trust fund baby like you learn to hotwire a motorcycle? Or even how to drive one for that matter?"

She smiled smugly. "Oh, just around. There's a lot of things I can do that most people would be surprised by."

"Like what?"

"Like coercing random rebellious tough guys into letting me steal their bikes and basically just do my every bidding," she winked at him.

He grinned and looked down. After a few seconds where the only sound that could be heard was that of the snow being crushed beneath their feet as they walked, he asked, "Are you sure she could be down here? Yes, there does seem to be a lot more snow, but maybe it just built up and, I don't know, maybe a mini avalanche happened or something."

Anna stopped, staring ahead of her. "Oh. I'm positive." Kristoff looked at her, then ahead of them. The back wall of the dead end was now visible, and between them and it stood another wall. One made entirely of ice. An archway had been melted into it.

"What the..?" Kristoff muttered.

"Elsa? Are you here?" Anna called as she ran past him.

"Hang on, slow down! It could be dangerous!" Kristoff said, reaching out to stop her, but she was already too far ahead. Cursing, he jogged after her.

She ran through the makeshift door. "Elsa!" she said again, but there was no response. There was not much space between the brick wall and the ice one, and it was clear her sister was not there. Her shoulders sagged.

Kristoff was not far behind her. As he took in the ice structure again, he asked a question he had been wondering about for a while now. "Did you know? That she could do stuff like this?"

Anna shook her head sadly. "No. I didn't know anything about it. We weren't exactly close. I mean, we used to be best buddies as children, but as we grew older, she suddenly became more distant." She paused, thinking. "I guess now I know why. That stubborn… If only she had told me! She probably felt so alone, I could have been there for her. If only she had let me in."

He tore his eyes from the glacial barrier to look at Anna. Her head hung and her arms were crossed. He noticed she was shivering. For the first time, he realized it did seem to be colder here than it had been anywhere else they had been so far. He took off his jacket and handed it to her.

Her eyes widened slightly at the offering, then she took it and put it on. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he brushed off her gratitude. He then glanced at the snow and quirked an eyebrow. "Hey, it looks like something happened here."

Anna's head shot up, then she too studied the ground. He was right. The snow was disturbed everywhere, more than just she and Kristoff could have done in the past couple minutes. She frowned. "Could there have been a fight?"

"Maybe," he muttered kneeling down. He then winced and added hastily, "But I'm sure Elsa is fine."

"She better be, so I can kick her ass later for putting me through this," she muttered.

Her eyes scanned the marks in the snow before she spotted something. "Hey! There are tracks!" She ran towards the opening in the ice to look at them closer. "These aren't ours! They're walking away from here, not towards it! How did we not see these on the way in?" She scrunched her eyes trying to see better details. "I think these are Elsa's. And… I think there might have been someone with her?"

She sensed Kristoff at her shoulder as he too surveyed the footprints. "…or following her."

Anna glanced at him. From the look in her eyes, he could tell she clearly did not like the sound of that. "We better follow these before the snow completely covers them up. Let's go!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Yes, this IS a new chapter (as of 3/31/2016), and no, you're not crazy, the chapter count for my story DID go down a little bit! Sorry for any confusion! Some of my chapters are just so short, I decided to combine a few of them. Don't worry, it's all still there! Also, this change might make it difficult for you to post a review to this chapter if you already reviewed the old chapter 6 previously (which is now part of chapter 4), sorry!

Special thanks to ****shinyx2,** Juuromaru, Mistress of the Arts, Miss PandaManga, **and **digitalstorm977** for reviewing the last chapter! Wow, I lurve you guys sooo much! Extra shout out for **Mistress of the Arts** , she's an aMAZing writer, and you should go read her stuff! I've only read her story Trade Mistakes so far (which is absolutely lovely!) but I plan to read the rest too as I am sure they are equally as lovely! Also shout out to **Miss PandaManga** who I'm sure is also an awesome writer, so if you know how to read French, go read her stuff!

Thanks so much to everyone else who's been reading my story! Next chapter will be up in about a week :)


	7. Chapter 7

"Wow... ritzy," was Axel's comment upon seeing where Elsa lived. The mansion - or maybe what would have been more properly dubbed a small castle - sprawled out proudly at the end of a circle driveway. It, like everything else they had seen on the way, was buried under a layer of snow, giving off the aura of a winter wonderland.

"We're not going to be here for long, so don't get comfy," Hans muttered, walking ahead of them. She watched as Axel stuck his tongue out at Hans' back. She hid a grin behind her hand.

Hans unhinged the gate and held it open for Elsa. She smiled her thanks at him as she walked through, then he followed behind her, letting the gate swing shut before Axel could follow. Seemingly unperturbed, Axel put a hand on top of the gate and simply vaulted himself over it.

Elsa unlocked the front door and walked into the foyer first, calling out, "Mom? Dad?" There was no answer. The house was completely dark. She knit her eyebrows together. "That's strange."

If they had heard any sort of news of what had happened at the dance tonight, then she would have expected them to come running at the sound of her voice. And they had made no plans to go out tonight either, nothing she was aware of anyway. She went jogging off through the first floor, checking the dining room, the study, the parlour, but the house was empty.

It was too early for them to have retired to their bedroom for the night, but when she returned to the foyer, she called upstairs anyway. "Hello?"

"What's wrong?" Axel asked.

Frowning, she said, "They don't seem to be home."

"Maybe they're out looking for you," Hans suggested.

"Maybe," she agreed weakly, wringing her hands. "Now I really wish I hadn't forgotten my phone. They've probably been trying to reach me on it."

"What about Olaf? Is he still around? Maybe he'd know where they are," Hans said.

Axel looked at her. "And Olaf is...?"

"Our butler. I doubt it, he's off duty for the night and has been for a few hours now."

"You have a butler." Axel whistled. "How fancy."

Hans placed a hand on the small of Elsa's back and started guiding her towards the grand staircase. "Why don't you go change, and when you're finished, we can figure out what our next best step should be."

Elsa hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She began to climb the stairs, and halfway up, she heard Hans saying, "Not you."

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him blocking Axel's path towards the staircase. Hans continued, "You stay down here on guard in case any of those shadow monster things you told me about attack."

Axel stared down at him. Hans was tall, but Axel still towered over him by a good three inches at least. After a few seconds, Axel gave him a mocking, two-fingered salute. "Sure thing. Go ahead, Hans, cower upstairs while I take care of all the big boy work down here." Axel walked off and Hans turned to ascend the stairs, a scowl on his face. Elsa frowned as she finished climbing the steps. She waited for Hans and they walked towards her room in silence.

She got that Hans did not trust Axel, but she did not understand why he seemed to go out of his way to be downright mean to him. To be fair, Axel was not exactly being pleasant either, but his pranks were harmless whereas Hans was being blatantly rude. She was not used to seeing this side of Hans, he was usually so kind. What was it about Axel that seemed to put him so on edge? He could not be jealous, could he? That would be nonsense! He had never been jealous of her interacting with another guy before. She had never given him reason to be, nor was she giving him reason now.

Though… to be fair, she had never really interacted with other guys before… or with _anyone_ , really. But that was beside the point!

Axel's words from earlier came back to her. _Don't trust him... there's something not right... watch your back._ She glanced at Hans out of the corner of her eye, then quickly looked down. Was there something off about him? Something that she had been blinding herself to because she did not want to see it?

They came to a stop and it took her a second to realize they were in front of her room. She looked at him and he smiled at her. "Go on, get changed. I'll wait out here for you."

"I'll just be a minute," she mumbled, placing a hand on her doorknob.

"Take all the time you need. There's no rush. And don't worry, we'll get this all figured out," he said softly before pressing a kiss into her hair just above her ear.

She blinked and that one small action flooded her with relief. What was she worrying about? Of course she could trust Hans. She could always trust him. She banished the misgivings from her mind. He was still her sweet, caring boyfriend that he had always been. She paused a heartbeat before saying, "I love you."

"I love you too," he responded, giving her a little wave as she shut the door.

She sighed, then shook herself. She needed to get out of her prom gown and into something functional. As she walked through the room, she turned on her light and, out of habit, her television as well, though she did not really pay attention to it. She just found something about having background noise soothing. She struggled with the zipper of her dress for a bit before managing to undo it, then pulled the dress off and tossed it onto the bed before walking into her closet.

As she got dressed, her mind wandered back to her parents. The fact that they were not here still made her uneasy. While they were, after all, still her parents and so would worry about her if she had gone missing - not to mention the recent debut of her magical ice powers as well - they were not really the type to go out looking for her. They were more likely to tell the police and let them do their job and then wait at home for any news. And what about Anna? Her sister going out there and looking for her made a little more sense. If she was even concerned about Elsa and not just pissed at her for keeping such a huge secret from her, or scared of her now.

Elsa shook her head. It would not do to think like that. It would help nothing. Hans was right, they needed to figure out what the best course of action was from here. Should she be trying to locate her family? Or should she continue on to meet this group that Axel wanted to introduce her to? Maybe it would be possible to do both... she could go with Axel and keep an eye out for her family on the way. It's not like she had any better place to start looking for them.

She stepped out of her closet, now changed into a pair of black leggings and a dark blue, long sleeved shirt. Her fingers finished fixing her hair into a braid over her shoulder. She sat on her bed, reaching for a pair of boots. As she put the first one on, she glanced up at her TV and stopped.

Breaking news was broadcasting that a freak snowstorm had hit their city in summer. She of course had not been entirely clueless to the weather she had brought on, but taking in the details scrolling across the screen, Elsa had not realized it had spread for miles. Small blizzards were still even terrorizing some sections of the city, in contrast to the calm snowfall around Elsa's home currently.

She glanced out her window, then down at her hands. What had she done? She had assumed it would die off on its own and eventually melt. She had not even considered that it would keep going, for who knew how long. Her powers had always been tied into her emotions, so she had just figured since she had calmed down, the snow would blow over as well. How could she have known? She had never done anything like this before, and certainly never on this scale. How was she going to fix it? She did not even know where to begin.

Biting her bottom lip, she mumbled, "Axel, your friends better be able to help me."

She finished putting on her other boot and looked down at her hands again. She still needed her gloves. And not just any pair, she needed her favorite gloves. For luck. Maybe it was just superstition, but she felt she needed whatever help she could get. Digging through her glove drawer, she could not find them. Perhaps she had left them in another room?

She opened her door and peeked out. Hans was missing. Maybe he had heard something and gone to check it out. Unconcerned, she stepped out and walked down the hall towards the upstairs sitting room. She stepped through the door and after taking a second to scan the room, she spotted them on the coffee table and went to pick them up.

As she walked past one of the sofas, a hand suddenly shot up from behind it, latched onto her wrist, and pulled her down. She tumbled with a yelp that was muffled as her mouth was covered. She looked down and realized she recognized the black sleeve of the arm that was being used as a makeshift gag.

Axel was hiding down here, sitting on the ground, back to back with the couch. He was hugging Elsa to him, her back against his chest, his arm across her mouth, his long legs bent on either side of her. She could feel his gentle breath against her neck, giving her goosebumps.

A few seconds passed where Elsa did not make a sound, which seemed to convince him she was going to remain silent, so he lowered his arm.

"Axel, what do you think you're-" she began as soon as she could speak, but he shushed her, pressing a finger to his lips. He then nudged his head to one side, indicating she should take a look in that direction. She raised an eyebrow at him, then heard footsteps coming from the direction he had indicated. She turned her head and peeked past the corner of the sofa.

Hans calmly entered from a door on the opposite end of the room.

And following closely behind at his feet like faithful pets were several Heartless.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** *le gasp* oh noes, what does this mean?! Worry not, you will find out... next week! xD

Special thanks to **Juuromaru** and **toastwhisperer** for posting reviews, as well as more special thanks to **Miss PandaManga** and **digitalstorm977** for PMing me with your reviews! It's always amazing hearing from you all! :D Again, since I had an older chapter 7 that this one is replacing, if you reviewed the older chapter 7, the site might not let you review the new chapter 7. You can always post your review to an older chapter you have not reviewed yet, or post as a guest, or PM me ^^ Next chapter should no longer have this problem, since it'll be the first time I post a chapter 8, woo!

In any case, like always, expect the next chapter in about a week. Until then!


	8. Chapter 8

Elsa choked down a gasp and quickly pulled her head behind the couch again. What had she just seen? What was going on? Where had those Heartless come from? Had they taken Hans captive? Of course they had! What other reason could there be for the scene that was currently taking place. But she had to do something then. She had to save him! She tried to stand up, but Axel still had an arm wrapped around her, keeping her firmly seated in place. She put her hands to his arm with the intention of removing it, but was stopped as she heard a voice. Hans' voice.

"The firestarter… Alex or whatever, he's downstairs."

Elsa leaned slightly to the side to peep past the couch again. The Heartless had encircled him. He pointed to a few of them. "You. Go deal with him. Try not to kill him as the boss might be interested in him too. But I also understand that accidents can happen."

A group of the shadow monsters turned and began to run. Elsa quickly snapped back out of sight. As the Heartless passed their hiding spot, she pressed her back further into Axel's chest, as if that would somehow make her less visible. Luckily, the two of them went unnoticed by the creatures.

Her mind whirled in confusion. Was Hans… giving them _orders?_ He was... _working_ with them? No, that was not possible. He had to be tricking them somehow. He had run into them and had somehow deceived them into thinking he was on their side. He was buying time to come up with some sort of plan to stop them. Yes, that _must_ be it!

"You three. You'll find Elsa in her room. That way, third door on the left. If you're quick and quiet, you can catch her unawares, before she has a chance to defend herself. Knock her out and bring her to me."

Another group ran past Axel and Elsa, and she watched as the last one slipped into a flattened shadow on the rug before it disappeared around the corner. Her hands were still holding onto Axel's arm, and she was unconsciously digging her nails into his sleeves. Hans was just fooling those monsters, she repeated to herself. He had to be. He was just a better actor than she had ever realized. There was no other plausible explanation.

"And you still haven't located her sister." Elsa's eyes widened. _Anna?_ "Her Ladyship wanted her brought to her as well and we don't want her getting impatient. Spread out further and double your efforts. I want her found. Now."

Why would he send the Heartless to retrieve her sister who, as far as they currently knew, was out of harm's way? What possible rescue plan would involve dragging Anna into all of this? Elsa's eyes were misting and she squeezed them shut. _Hans, you're not making sense_. Seriously, what was going on?

"The rest of you, wait here with me and guard the perimeter. I don't expect any trouble, but being cautious doesn't hurt." She heard him release a long, slow sigh. "Soon… soon, this charade will come to an end and I'll get what's mine. Finally, it will all be finished."

That was it. Elsa could not sit still anymore. She needed answers. Catching Axel off guard, he was not able to restrain her this time as she pushed his arm away and stood. "No," she heard Axel hiss as she walked out, and felt his fingers brush against her ankle as he tried to grab it and stop her, but he was too late.

"And _what_ exactly will be all finished?" Elsa demanded.

Hans had been staring out a window, the remaining Heartless - which was still quite a lot - gathered around his feet. He turned and blinked at her, mild shock registering across his features. Then he smiled warmly. "Elsa. So good of you to join us." He looked down and past her. "Ah, and Alex too. Welcome."

Elsa glanced briefly out of the corner of her eye to see Axel shoot up from behind the couch, frowning at Hans. He walked over and stood behind Elsa's shoulder, crossing his arms. "It's Axel," he clarified. "You better memorize it."

"Answer the question, Hans," she said.

"Elsa. Sweetie," he began, walking towards her, but he immediately halted when she held up a hand. She had wanted to say something too, but she could not quite find her voice. Was she crazy, or did his words sound so hollow now? "How much did you hear?"

"Everything," she managed to say, though it was a struggle. "About Axel. About me. About Anna. Explain this to me. Explain it right now. Please." The last word almost came out a whisper and Elsa felt her eyes prickling, but she ignored it. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this. There just had to be. Though what she had seen and heard so far contradicted that, she had to hold onto the hope.

"Oh, Elsa," Hans responded, and he sounded sorry for her, though he was still wearing that same smile. "You weren't supposed to hear any of that."

"Because it's all a lie, right? You're just trying to trick those things, aren't you?" she asked, pointing a shaky finger at the Heartless. Their illuminated eyes were all staring at her hungrily. "That's all it is, right? Please tell me that's all it is."

Hans gave a low, drawn out sigh. "Oh, sweetheart. It's almost sad how much you want to delude yourself."

Those ominous words shot a stabbing pain through Elsa's chest and left her rigid.

"Let me put it to you straight," he went on. "You know my family. I am the youngest of thirteen brothers. Thirteen. That's thirteen children my parents had to feed, had to dress, had to pay college tuition for. They're hardly able to provide for their entire family, let alone themselves. They have to work multiple jobs, all hours of the day and night, getting next to no sleep. They have to scrimp and save every penny just to scrape by. Do you have any idea what it's like? Coming from a family like that?" He paused to cast a glance around the very mansion they stood in. "Oh, that's right. You don't," he said coldly.

"Hans, I-" she began, then hesitated. She needed to gather her thoughts, try to make sense of what was even happening. "I never assumed it was easy for you, but what does this have to do with-"

"I decided that that was never going to be for me, not again. No peon work, no living impoverished. I was going to marry into money. I was going to have power. And that, dear Elsa, is where you came in."

She felt very cold, like ice was coursing through her veins. Given her abilities, maybe there actually was. Or maybe it was just her imagination. Somehow, she did not care. "What are you saying?" she whispered.

"You were so lonely, so rich, so _perfect_. It was simple to gain your affections. Far too simple."

"But... we're in love," she argued feebly, looking down. Ice was forming on the rug beneath her feet, reaching and arching out in patterns like claws.

Hans laughed. It was the most horrible laugh she had ever heard, from him or anyone. "Love? I can't believe you bought that. How could you ever be convinced we were ever in love. You won't even let me touch you."

She blinked away her tears, which was getting harder to do. Frost was crystallizing on the walls and ceilings, spreading. "Y-you told me you understood..."

"Oh, I understood. I understood after I was approached by Her Ladyship and she revealed to me what a monstrosity you really were." Her head shot up at his words. "That's right, I knew before the little incident tonight. Tell me, were you ever planning on letting me in on your little secret?"

"I...ah..." Nothing else escaped her lips besides her breath, which was visible now. The room had dropped several degrees in temperature.

"Thought as much. No matter. Her Ladyship was very interested in you. So she offered me a deal. In exchange for delivering you to her, she'd make me powerful and wealthy beyond my dreams. These," he gestured to the Heartless, "are just the beginning of that."

There was silence. Elsa screwed her eyes shut, trying to process what he was saying to her. Her heart did not want to process it, it refused to in fact, fighting her every step of the way. "So... this entire time... you've just wanted..."

"Money," Hans answered coolly, smirking at her once more. "That's all this ever was. That's all you ever were to me. A means to an end."

"Elsa," a voice growled behind her, making her jump. Axel. She had forgotten he was in here too. "Go on. Put this bastard on ice. You know you want to."

She gulped. Did she want to? She should, shouldn't she? She lifted her trembling hands and aimed them towards Hans. He faced her, grinning, unconcerned. Several seconds stretched out, Elsa visibly struggling with herself. "I can't!" she said finally, throwing her hands back down to her sides, ice and snow flying from her fingertips and crashing around her shoes. "I can't do it."

"...then allow me!" Axel's hand shot up, flames already swirling in his palm.

Her body seemed to move of its own accord as she grabbed Axel's arm and shoved it to the side, shouting, "No!" A blast of fire shot out, but missed its mark, exploding an end table to the right of Hans. Heartless scattered away from the burning wreckage.

"Pathetic," Hans said with a sneer, looking at Axel. "Even after all of that, she's still in love with me. This is too easy."

Axel grit his teeth, then looked down at Elsa. "Why...?"

"We can't," was all she could say by way of explanation, as the Heartless in the room stalked closer to them, circling them. "We just can't, understand?"

"No. But whatever," he snapped. He eyed the shadows drawing closer. "What are we supposed to do now then?"

Hans spoke up before Elsa could respond. "Isn't it obvious? You- _ERK!_ " He suddenly twitched violently and collapsed.

Standing behind him, brandishing a taser that crackled angrily, was a rather short, rather round man in a suit. He glared down at Hans' incapacitated form. "Guests are not welcome here at so late an hour, sir."

"Olaf?!" Elsa cried in disbelief.

Axel looked from her to him. "Your _butler_?"

He swung his taser around like a fencing sabre before bowing. "At your service, madam."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, still not sure if she could trust her eyes. "I thought you had gone home!"

"I had, but then I was alerted to the news of your disappearance. I came to offer my assistance in the search. Luckily, I did not have to search far."

She swallowed back a lump in her throat. "Olaf, I-"

"There's no time, Miss Elsa," he interrupted her. The Heartless were agitated. More had materialized and they were surrounded by a sea of black, dotted in glowing amber. Some had gathered defensively around Hans' prone body. Some were still hesitating near Axel and Elsa, but most had their full attention on Olaf now, assessing the new threat. He glanced at Axel, then back at her. "Do you trust this boy?"

Her eyebrows knit together at the sudden odd question. "I... I think so?"

"Then go. I'll distract them while you run." Olaf edged back slowly as the shadow beasts began to prowl towards him. Apparently, they had determined dealing with him took precedence.

"What? No!"

"Miss Elsa, it's obvious these things are after you, and I need to protect you. I must insist you run!"

"Olaf, no! We can help you fight," she argued.

He shook his head. "We don't need fighting. What we need is to get you away from here." He looked passed her, at Axel again. "Get her out of here."

"Right!" she heard him respond, then felt a hand close around her wrist. She yelped as Axel let loose a giant gout of flame into the mass of Heartless blocking the exit. Then she practically fell over as Axel took off, pulling her behind him through a smouldering gap he had left in their ranks. His grip was like a vice, so she had no choice but to run with him or be dragged. She glanced over her shoulder. A few Heartless took chase at their heels, but most were gathering around Olaf, backing him into a corner as he whipped his taser around at them. The last she saw of him was as he raised his electrified weapon to meet one of the monsters leaping towards him. Then she and Axel turned a corner and he was out of sight.

Axel was now leading her down the grand staircase, Elsa scrambling not to trip over each step as he took them two at a time. "Axel! We have to stop and go back! We have to help him!"

"No, he's right. We have to get you as far away from this place as possible," he responded. They landed on the bottom floor, the double-doored entrance before them. Between it and them however were dozens of luminescent golden eyes. More Heartless. "Damn," he muttered and with a gesture, threw up a crackling wall of fire between them and the creatures before he took a sharp turn to the left and down the nearest hall.

"But we can't just leave him like that!"

"I don't know him as well as you do, but he looked like he could take care of himself. The old guy had some serious guts."

"But-" she cut herself off with a gasp as they both skidded to a stop. More Heartless, too many to count, stood blocking their path further down the hallway. They looked back the way they had come and just as many were gathering there. They practically writhed with anticipation. Axel and Elsa were trapped. There were too many to fight. They could certainly try, but they would be overwhelmed before even making so much as a dent.

Panting heavily from their run, Elsa looked from the Heartless to Axel. His eyes searched wildly for an escape route. He turned and froze, his gaze settling on a large, ceiling to floor window behind them, the front yard to the house just on the other side. Elsa's eyes widened as she realized what was going through his head. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes," he smirked, wrapping one hand her around the waist and pulling her up against him. He lifted his other arm to shield his head and charged at the window, turning slightly so that only his body would collide with it. With a loud crash, they burst through it, bits of shattered glass raining everywhere. Axel hit the ground first, the air audibly getting knocked out of him as he cushioned Elsa's landing.

She winced and coughed, quickly rolling off of him. "Are you okay?"

He hissed in pain, then hopped up onto his feet into a crouch. He shook his head, sending snow and bits of broken window flying out of his hair. Amazingly, they both had somehow managed to pull through that bit of utter stupidity unscathed. "Fine," he wheezed. He glanced over his shoulder with a frown. "We're not out of the woods yet, though."

She followed his gaze to see Heartless pouring out of the destroyed window.

"Let's scram," he said, taking a hold of her wrist again. He pulled her to her feet and they made a run for it.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Oh snap, shit just got real! :-O Just kidding, you guys probably saw the thing with Hans coming a mile away, but I still thought it was fun to play along for a bit before he revealed his true colors!

Special thanks to **Mistress of the Arts** and **Miss PandaManga** for posting their reviews! And thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, and PMed me about this story! Oh gosh, I LOVE hearing your thoughts on what's happened so far and theories on what's going on behind the scenes or what's coming up next, so really, thank you guys! Be back next week for another exciting (lawl) installment!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** *whispers* you have no idea how excited I am for this chapter...

* * *

"I think we lost them," Axel panted as they came to a stop in an alley between two buildings. "We can rest here, but only for a minute. I don't want to give them a chance to catch up."

His words were just senseless noise to Elsa's ears. Hardly anything had registered with her since they had escaped. She had concentrated everything on keeping one foot moving in front of the other, focusing on anything to distract her. But now that her feet were no longer moving, her mind began running. The events just moments earlier started replaying in her mind, assaulting her with alarming clarity, and she flinched, as if she had been physically struck.

"Hey, are you okay?" Axel asked. He was standing in front of her, bowed forward so his eyes were level with hers, his head tilted to one side.

She looked away from him and gave a soft, half-hearted laugh. "Am I okay?" she repeated. She contemplated the question.

"Well, let's see. So far tonight, I nearly killed my boyfriend just for trying to kiss me," she ticked off on one finger, then moved onto the next. "The whole school and who knows how many other people now know I'm some ice-powered mutant weirdo. I'm being hunted by shadow monsters. My parents and sister are missing. Olaf is captured or worse. Aforementioned boyfriend doesn't care about me, never did in fact and wants to hand me over to the Heartless and someone called 'Her Ladyship' for god knows what purpose. And it seems my only ally right now is some eyeliner-wearing pyromaniac who I only met a couple hours ago.

"So am I okay? Oh yeah, I'm just dandy," she chuckled tiredly. Only the chuckle came out more of a sob. She stifled it and squeezed her eyes shut, but a tear still managed to escape and slide down her cheek. Snow started swirling around the two of them, like a slow tornado. She muttered something under her breath.

"What?" he asked, his crimson hair stirring as the flurry gained strength.

She took a deep breath and spoke up. "He was too understanding. After I practically impaled him. He brushed it off like it was nothing… like it could have happened to anyone. Like I had just accidentally poked him in the eye or something. He didn't freak out about seeing my powers for the first time. And he didn't bat an eye when I told him about the Heartless, he just accepted it. Why didn't I notice that or think it strange? I mean, most people would have been carting me off to an asylum or calling the government or, I don't know, running for the hills.

"He knew. He knew all along and he manipulated me and wanted to deliver me to his boss… like merchandise." She pressed the heel of her palms into eyes, oblivious to the snowstorm she was inciting around them.

He had to raise his voice to be heard over the wind as it began to howl. "Let me take you to the people I told you about. They can protect you. You'll never have to worry about being hurt again, or-"

"What's the _point?!_ " she snarled, throwing her arms down and balling her hands into fists. "I shouldn't be protected! What if I can't even be trained? All I've ever done is lie and keep secrets and close myself off from everyone. I've only caused pain to those I care about, and have been used by those who I thought cared about me. Things would be better for everyone if I just disappeared! I-"

Her words were cut off as a sudden warmth embraced her unexpectedly. It took her a second to realize her cheek was against Axel's chest, his arms wrapped around her. He smelled of burnt timber and cinnamon. He was…

...hugging her?

"No!" she shoved him away, raising an unsteady hand between them and shaking her head. "I… I understand and… appreciate what you are trying to do, but I can't let you! My gloves…" She flexed her naked fingers. "I left them behind. If I let you touch me, you'll freeze to death. I don't want to hurt you! So just- just go. Please." She begged as she backed away from him, her braid whipping about in the gale.

"Elsa, you couldn't turn me to human-popsicle even if you tried," he snorted, taking a step towards her.

She blinked incredulously and shouted, "Stay back! Do you think I'm joking?"

"Oh, I don't doubt that if I were anyone else, you'd probably have me dead as a doornail faster than you could say hypothermia. But that's not going to happen to me." He reached out his hand towards her. "Trust me."

His words echoed Hans' from earlier that night at the dance, when they had been on stage, right before he had kissed her knuckle. Right before she had catapulted him across the gym. She winced as the image flashed through her mind anew, like re-opening a wound. She turned her head away from him.

"Just take my hand. It'll be okay," he insisted.

"No, it won't be, and you don't seem to understand that. You're asking me to kill you!" In a moment of thoughtlessness and frustration, she slapped his hand away. Faster than she could react however, he had snatched her hand in his and held tight. Elsa gasped and tried to jerk her hand away, but he refused to release her. "Let go, you idiot!"

He just shook his head as frost began to crystallize on his fingernails. Her eyes widened on seeing that and she frantically redoubled her efforts to free herself, to no avail. Ice started forming on his fingers as well and spread to his knuckles, coating them like a frozen exoskeleton. It should have been hurting him, but he stared impassively as the ice continued onward, enveloping his entire hand.

"Stop it!" she practically shrieked, violently pulling her arm back. This time, finally, he released her. But as she looked down at his hand, she knew it was too late. The damage had been done.

Or so she thought. She stared at it, perplexed. _Is… is his hand glowing?_ A dim, amber light seemed to be pulsating from within the ice. It steadily grew in intensity and the ice began to glisten, then melt. Slowly, it shrunk until it vanished entirely, leaving Axel's hand looking damp and slightly red, but otherwise looking no worse for wear.

He flexed his fingers as they returned to a more natural color bit by bit, and smiled at her. "See? Not even a hint of freezer burn."

Elsa stared at him, mouth agape. "…your powers…?"

"Yup. They shield me from yours. That's what I was trying to show you, so you don't have to worry." He raised his hand, palm facing her.

She stared at it a moment. Then, as if in a trance, she raised her own hand and started reaching towards his. She stopped with an inch between them, her fingers curling, hesitating. But the pause only spanned a heartbeat, before she closed the distance, her palm touching to his.

She stared at their hands in wonder and disbelief. Her fingers were splayed out against his, and his were so much longer. His palm felt so warm, a sensation that was so unfamiliar and alien to her. How long had it been, she wondered, since she had had skin contact with someone, anyone, and not been terrified of hurting them? How long had it been since she had given up hope of safely touching the bare skin of another ever again?

His hand did not freeze over this time. Perhaps he had upped the heat going into it. Perhaps it was due to Elsa's emotions being pacified, if the weather was any indication anyway. The blizzard had died down around them, only light snowflakes falling now. She did not notice any of that however, so focused was she on their hands. Was this a dream? If it was, she hoped to never wake up. Her eyes began to mist over.

Axel suddenly shifted his fingers to interlock with her and he gently pulled her towards him. She did not resist. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her once more. And this time, she let him. One of his arms folded around her back, and the other slipped around to rest a comforting hand on her head. Choking back a sob, she wrapped her arms around his waist, her fingers digging into the fabric of his hoodie. She felt him settle a cheek against her forehead, and she broke down.

She didn't know how long she cried for, but Axel was silent and patient. His hold on her never faltered as he gave her time to get it out of her system. She wasn't sure why exactly he did it. Maybe he just knew how much she needed someone to be there for her at that particular moment. Finally, she began to regain some of her composure.

Her timing, it seemed, was impeccable as she heard Axel mutter, "We have company."

She looked up, then pulled away from him and spun around, wiping away the last of the tears. A small, round shadow that had nothing to cast it was on the snowy ground, in the middle of the opening into their alley. It darted from side to side, almost seeming excited. Then from around the corner of the buildings on either side of them, several more just like it scurried in and joined the first.

Elsa took a step back, then turned to check the opening on the opposite end of the lane. More black silhouettes gathered there and were growing in numbers.

"Escape route is blocked, huh?" Axel asked, eyes still on the threat in front of them.

She swallowed hard and nodded. "I'm sorry. This is my fault, I drew them here. Even if I hadn't summoned up a freaking blizzard that was most likely noticeable for blocks, they probably sensed me broadcasting my negative emotions like a beacon."

"Don't worry about it," Axel shrugged. "They would have found us sooner or later, dark vibes or not. Besides, we got this. I'll take this side, you take that side," he pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

Looking at the ever growing horde, sets of amber eyes started to pop into existence in the mass and several Heartless rose from the ground. She chewed her lower lip, then glanced at him again. "But…"

"Don't worry. You'll do fine," he reassured her before holding his hand up to his lips, palm face up. A small flame danced along his finger tips and he blew on it. It erupted in a cone before him, overtaking the first line of Heartless coming in on his side, burning and eating away at them.

She turned to face the other side to find several charging at her. There was no more time to dwell on her heartache, nor even time to think. She just had to act. Her hands flew up and with them, ice sprung up from the ground beneath her attackers' feet, huge blocks of it completely encasing the little monsters and freezing them mid-dash. Her fingers arched into claws as she clenched her hands into fists, and the ice columns shattered, their prisoners within evaporating with the action. She then slashed her arm through the air and the sharp fragments of broken ice that remained flew forward, pelting and tearing through the next wave of Heartless coming in behind the first. Several more dissolved into nothing, while the rest slowed down as they were forced to either dodge or stumble over the glacial chunks now in their path.

Pumping her fist triumphantly, she glanced over her shoulder. Axel was squashing one Heartless under his red Converse as it roasted in a slow, smoldering death. His hands had formed finger-guns and from them he was shooting thin beams of fire like bullets, rapidly head-shotting any shadows that got stupidly brave and moved too close.

By chance, Elsa saw it. A black blur launching itself through the air at Axel and he was looking the other way, focused on another Heartless. Elsa snapped her arm up and a stream of icicles shot out as if fired from a gatling gun. The offending Heartless was pierced multiple times and Axel turned his head in time to see it dissipate.

He grinned at her and gave her the thumbs up. "Heh. Thanks!"

"Don't mention it," she answered, watching as he held up his other hand, his index finger steaming. He blew it out like a smoking pistol.

Shaking her head, Elsa returned her attention to her end of the alley. Some of the Heartless had managed to pass the ice debris and were galloping towards her once more. Feeling like she was getting the hang of this, she crossed her arms in front of her and then sliced them outward in horizontal arcs. Scythes of ice formed from both hands, a yard wide each, and swiftly sailed through the air, cutting through the Heartless like butter.

On Axel's side, he had erected a barricade of fire before him, spanning the width from building to building on either side of them. He made a shooing gesture with his hands and the flames rushed forward, devouring the scrambling Heartless.

Could it be? Were they actually going to be able to fight their way out of this one? Elsa actually began to hope.

That is until she spotted it. Her eyes widened and she froze. "Z… Ziggy…?"

Axel turned, following her gaze and blinked. Standing a few feet away was a Heartless, twitching one of its antenna at them. Its crooked, misshapen antenna. There was no mistaking it for any other Heartless.

"They don't die," Elsa voiced her sudden realization, her words void of emotion. "There's no stopping them. No matter what we do, they'll just keep coming back. Even as we kill these ones, they might just be reforming in the back. We may have already killed all of these ten times over, we would never know. We could be fighting them… forever."

A fresh army of Heartless gathered round behind Ziggy. It seemed to take strength in the presence of the rest, and from somewhere within its chest, a gurgling, threatening sound rumbled as it eyed her. It then hunched forward, preparing to pounce.

And then abruptly, something from above impaled Ziggy in the head and sliced down into the snow. The Heartless had a split second to squirm before it exploded into a puff of black smoke. In its place, only the weapon that had pierced it remained. Holding onto the handle, crouched close to the ground, was a boy with spiky chestnut brown hair. As for the weapon itself...

It was a blade in the shape of a giant key.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Oh. Em. Gee. Bet you didn't see THAT one coming! Ahhhh, it feels like I've been waiting an eternity for this little debut xD And it'll feel so good to finally mark that little "Sora" checkbox for this story in the FFN settings xD Now I patiently await the day there will be a little "Elsa" checkbox for me to check...

Special thanks to **Mistress of the Arts** and **Juuromaru** for posting their reviews! And thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, and PMed me about this story! You're all glorious goddesses and gods! *worship* As always, be back next week to see what happens next!


	10. Chapter 10

He looked to be close to Elsa's age, possibly a year or two younger if his height was any indication. He wore a short-sleeved hoodie, unzipped down the middle, with a t-shirt on underneath. He wore baggy shorts that covered his knees and sneakers that were almost comically large. On one wrist was a bracer that bore some sigils on it that were indiscernible at this distance.

The colossal key the stranger wielded looked blunt, like it could do little more than give someone a good headache and maybe a couple of bruises. But it was like kryptonite to the Heartless. He barely paused for more than a breath after exterminating Ziggy before he was spinning on his heel, slashing his weapon through the ring of Heartless around him. It seemed the little monsters still had not fully processed what had just happened and he did not give them time to before his strange blade crashed through each of them, detonating them into inky mist.

From the mass of shadows and blinking yellow eyes beyond the reach of his weapon, two Heartless emerged, charging in blurs at the stranger's back. One of the sigils on his bracer glowed a bright green, then the arm it was wrapped around shot up, almost as if it was being pulled by an invisible string. Just as the Heartless were about to dig their claws into his flesh, they instead collided with a sickening thud into a giant shield that instantaneously generated from the armband. It was a blinding emerald green, elliptic in shape and appeared to be made of pure light as it flared up a bit where the Heartless made contact with it.

Noticing the new pair of attackers for the first time it seemed, the boy rushed to the nearest wall and slammed into it, crushing the Heartless between his shield and the unyielding bricks. In a split second, the beasts were nothing more than puffs of smoke.

He turned his head, his deep blue eyes taking in Elsa and Axel, who were only able to watch wide-eyed as the scene unfolded before them. His gaze shifted to look past them and his eyes narrowed. His shield flickered back into nonexistence as his feet dug into the snow and he sprinted towards them. "Move!" he shouted.

Elsa blinked a couple times, then it clicked and she scrambled out of the way, pressing herself against the side of a building as he dashed past her. She barely registered that Axel was against the wall beside her as she continued to watch the boy.

He held his free arm up in front of him and one of the sigils on his bracer began to glow green again. The curved shield burst forth in front of him and he barreled through into the sea of Heartless on the other end of the alley, knocking them left and right as he forged a path. Once he had reached the heart of the swarm, he spun his weapon, taking it in both hands, then pointed the mighty key upward and jabbed the tip straight up into the air. A new sigil on his brace lit up, this time a dazzling sky blue. Sparks began to fly from the jagged tip of the key, before a bolt of lightning flew up into the heavens. Not a second later, dozens of bolts returned in its place, raining down and striking the Heartless, frying them where they stood. The ones that were hit convulsed before being obliterated.

Several more still remained however and were quick to coordinate an ambush, leaping at the newcomer from all directions. With a flick of his wrist, a sigil flashed sapphire again and a sphere of wind roared into existence protectively around him, sending the Heartless catapulting back into walls.

He used the brief reprieve to look up above where Elsa and Axel stood. He then glanced at Axel. "Give me a boost."

Axel quirked an eyebrow, then looked up, Elsa following their gazes as well. Directly above them was a fire escape. Catching on, Axel nodded and knelt down, knitting his fingers together, palms facing upward. The newcomer ran towards him, hooked his foot into the improvised step formed by Axel hands, then jumped at the same time that Axel launched him upward. The kid had enough momentum and height to swing his key-like weapon upward and hook it onto the fire escape. It was on a hinge that began to descend at a slant with the added weight of the boy, forming stairs when he hit the ground and pulled it down the rest of the way.

Elsa turned her attention back to the Heartless, which were now closing in on both sides. There were still so many of them.

"Come on, let's blow this popsicle stand," she heard Axel say. She turned to see him waiting at the bottom of the fire escape, holding it down for her. Glancing up, she saw the new kid was already half way up the first flight of stairs. As her eyes followed him, billions of questions whirled around her mind. Who was he? Where had he come from? Could they trust him? What were all those strange powers he had? And what was the freaking deal with the _key?_

She shook her head. There was no time for that now. Right now, they needed to get the hell out of there. Picking up her feet, Elsa ran past Axel and started pounding up the steps. The redhead turned towards the Heartless and threw his arms out, fingers splayed. "How about a little parting gift?" he smirked. A screen of fire shot up, blocking the path between them and the Heartless as waves of flames shot out from it, mowing down several more. Giving a satisfied nod, he turned and followed up behind Elsa.

After running several flights up, Elsa looked down through the grating of the fire escape. The fire had already died out and the white snow that had once covered the ground had been replaced by a blanket of darkness and gleaming yellow dots. Most of the Heartless seemed to be trapped on the ground, but a few enterprising ones had managed to make it onto the fire escape before it had returned to its upright position, out of reach of the rest. The Heartless that had made it looked singed, probably having determinedly tumbled right through the flame blockade while it had been burning in order to ensure their prey did not escape. The monsters were practically flying up the steps, gaining on them.

Hissing through her teeth, Elsa placed her hands on the metal railing as she continued to run. Behind Axel, ice and frost began to freeze over the steps, creeping down the flights of stairs. It slowed the Heartless down as they scrambled to maintain their footing on it. It may not have been much, but hopefully it would buy them enough time to get away.

Huffing and exhausted, Elsa finally reached the roof of the building. Stopping to catch her breath, she glanced back down the side of the building and saw that the Heartless on the ground seemed to have realized that they somehow had the ability to scale the wall without the use of the fire escape. They were starting to teem up the bricks like hungry ants.

She looked ahead of her again and saw that the boy wielding the mammoth key was running across to the other side of the roof, so she followed after him. That is until he reached the edge of the roof and, without the slightest hesitation, jumped. He sailed through the air and rolled into his landing on the next building over.

For her part, Elsa skidded to a stop, teetering away from the edge. She glanced over it and saw the several stories drop down. She gulped and shook her head rapidly. She'd rather take her chances with the Heartless, she half-jokingly decided as she began to back away slowly.

"Don't be such a pansy!" came Axel's voice from behind her, and suddenly he had scooped her up without breaking stride, one arm cradling her back while the other supported her legs. Her arms frantically latched around his neck as he charged without hesitation towards the edge, and a very distraught squeak escaped her lungs as he vaulted the both of them off it.

The next couple of seconds seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Gravity no longer seemed to exist and all Elsa could do was hold onto Axel for dear life. They say in situations like these you should not look down, so of course that was the first thing she did. The streets below were far away - so very, _very_ far away.

Then suddenly gravity returned with overwhelming force as Axel's feet hit the top of the second building and he landed in a crouch with a grunt, hugging Elsa to him and trying to absorb most of the impact himself. A jolt still shook her body, then everything was very still. Elsa panted, her eyes wide and unblinking, staring into space at nothing in particular.

"Elsa," Axel coughed, the word coming out strangled, "you're choking me."

Her eyelids fluttered and she regained her senses as she finally realized that the ground was now directly beneath their feet once again. Axel's words sunk in as she also realized that her arms were still wrapped tightly around his neck, suffocating him. She quickly released him and got to her feet. He inhaled deeply, his lungs rejoicing in their reunion with oxygen. He barely had a chance to enjoy it however before Elsa rapped her fist against the top of his head. "Serves you right! Dummy!"

"Serves me right?" he asked, standing up and rubbing his sore cranium. "Serves me right for _what?!_ Saving you?"

"For scaring the hell out of me! I didn't need saving!" she harrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I could have made that jump on my own."

"Oh really? So then why didn't you?"

She opened her mouth, then quickly snapped it shut again, thinking. Finally, she said, "I was honing."

"Oh, I see. Honing. Right. Fine then, next time I see you _honing,_ " he used air quotes to emphasize the word, "I'll just let the Heartless kill you and then watch as they dance maniacally over your carcass."

She scowled at him. "They would not have-"

"Um, guys?"

They turned to see the spiky-haired boy waiting for them at the other end of the roof. "Can you do this later? We kind of have to get going."

Elsa glanced over her shoulder and saw the front runners of the Heartless reaching the edge of the the building they had just abandoned. The shadows seemed hesitant as they considered the jump, but that would surely not last for long. Sighing, she began to run once more, following the boy down the new fire escape on the other side of the building.

* * *

"What… happened here?" Anna whispered.

Following the tracks in the snow had lead them back to Anna's home. As she brought the motorcycle to a stop in front of her gate, she slowly took off the helmet and her mouth hung open. The manor was dark and looked abandoned. Not even the porch light had been left on, which it normally was. But that part was not terribly worrying, not when compared to the fact that one of the large windows that ran along the front of the residence was completely shattered. On top of that, there was a mess of footprints in the snow covering their yard. If her sister's were among those prints, it was impossible to tell, there were far too many. It was as if an army had marched through their lawn.

Anna propped the motorcycle on its kickstand and got off, approaching her front gate.

"What are you doing?" Kristoff asked as his hand closed around her wrist, bringing her to a halt.

"What's it look like? I'm going inside."

He looked from the ominous mansion back to her. "Are you crazy?"

"Well, I think we've already established that," she snorted, yanking her arm free of his grasp. "Look, I'm going in there. You can stay here if you're scared. Guard your precious Sven," she teased with a roll of her eyes before turning to unlatch the gate.

He lingered a second longer before scowling and dismounting his bike. "Be back in a sec, buddy. Just got to make sure the whacko doesn't get herself murdered."

"I heard that," Anna said, holding the gate open for him.

"Well, I said it _loudly_ ," Kristoff shot back as he followed her.

As they approached the front door, Anna dug out her phone. She pressed a quick dial and held it to her ear, but after a few seconds she shook her head. "My parents aren't answering their phones. It's unlike them." She would have tried Elsa's number next, but that would have been pointless since her sister had left her phone at the dance. Anna had retrieved it and was holding onto it for the moment.

The entrance was unlocked, adding to the growing list of things that were not right. The two of them entered, Anna closing the door behind them. "You should fire your decorator," she heard Kristoff deadpan.

She furrowed her brow. "Huh? What are you-?" Then she looked down and spotted what he was referring to. The rug - or rather, the finely crafted, very luxurious, very _expensive_ Persian rug, to be exact - had a huge scorch mark running along it now. Well, _that_ had most certainly not been there this morning. The burn mark ran the entire span of the foyer, bisecting the room in half with the front doors on one side and the grand staircase on the other.

"...the hell?" she muttered, squinting down at it for a second more. Then she frowned, squared her shoulders and marched over to another door on the other side of the room. Opening it revealed it to be a closet that she immediately began rummaging through.

Kristoff tilted his head to one side. "What are you doing?"

"Aha!" she cried, pulling an umbrella out and holding it up triumphantly. "Getting a weapon."

"Great. If the bad guys summon a downpour with a rain dance, we're covered."

She whacked him in the shoulder with it, which extracted an offended "Ow!" from him.

"I rest my case," she stated smugly, turning and marching down a hallway. Rubbing his shoulder, he trailed after her.

A cool, snowflake-laced breeze nipped at their skin as they journeyed down the corridor. It was not long before the broken window that had been clearly visible from outside was in front of them. Anna's face pinched as she ran a hard eye over the remnants of the glass, using the tip of her umbrella to poke at a loose jagged edge still in the framework. It easily came free and fell with a tiny clink. She frowned. "...I hope Elsa's okay."

Kristoff took in a heavy breath, then surveyed the scene himself. "At least it looks like she escaped."

She looked at him. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, look at all the shattered glass. Where is it?"

Anna looked down again and then grinned. "Outside, on the snow."

"Exactly. None of it's in here with us. That means something, or _someone_ , crashed through it from inside to get out."

"And since all the tracks seem to be leading away from this window, it's a safe bet that Elsa had a head start and the rest are chasing after her."

"That'd be my guess," Kristoff nodded. "Question is, how much of a head start did she have?" he added as he squatted down next to the window and took a minute to silently contemplate the pulverized snow.

All of a sudden, the umbrella was on a swift and direct course for his head. He blurted out a startled "Woah!" as he ducked and Anna's swing went sailing over his head. A muted _thump_ could be heard as she hit something else behind him.

"You _trying_ to separate my head from my body? What the hell was that about?" he snapped as he rose.

" _That_ was me saving your sorry ass from that thing." She pointed with her weapon before raising it in defense. She muttered, "Teach you to mock the umbrella."

He spun around. Laying on the ground several feet away was... something. From the look of it, Anna had sent it flying when she had hit it and it had crashed into the opposite wall that it was now curled up against. It seemed she had smacked it hard, as all it could manage to do was shudder in pain. It was small and pitch black from head to toe and unlike any other creature he had ever seen before. He watched as it finally found the strength to shake off its stupor and rose to its feet. Strike that, it was not _entirely_ black. Its bulbous eyes glowed an eerie yellow as it blinked up at them.

"Aw, it's actually kind of cute," Anna said as she lowered her umbrella slightly.

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "You're joking, right?"

"I bet we just startled it and the little guy was just trying to defend himself." She tentatively reached a hand out towards it as she approached it slowly. "It's alright, little fella. We won't hurt you."

The thing looked from her face to her hand, then back again, cowering a step back, its antennas waggling nervously. Then it emitted a raspy sound that was distinctly a growl and abruptly lunged forward, rending its claws through the air towards her. She gasped and withdrew her hand just in time, backing up towards Kristoff. Then, in the many shadows cast around the hallway, several more citrine eyes lit up.

"Oh great. It brought friends. Now we're ready to party," she muttered.

"I think we may have found what's been hunting your sister," Kristoff gulped. Creatures identical to the first one were stalking out of the darkness and gathering into a pack.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. "You think so?"

He nodded. "Maybe if we back away slowly, no sudden sound or movement, we can-"

Anna charged forward and bashed one of the things on the head with her umbrella.

"What are you _doing?_ " Kristoff yelped.

"What did you do with my sister?" she snarled at the creature she had assaulted. "And with my parents, for that matter? Oh no you don't!" she barked as another one pounced towards her. Swinging the umbrella like a bat, she hit it square in the gut and launched it into the wall with a nasty squelch. She then pinned the first one under the point of her umbrella. "Now where were we, you little monster? Oh, that's right. My family. Where are they? Talk!"

"Um, Anna? I don't think they can. Talk, that is. They don't seem to have mouths," Kristoff said anxiously as he watched the rest of them circle, enclosing the two of them in.

She lifted her chin defiantly. "Well, fine then, they can use frigging sign language for all I care, and I'll damn well learn how to understand it if it'll lead me to my parents and Elsa. But how to get it to start communicating?" She smiled wickedly. "Maybe I should begin with removing body parts..."

"That's it."

"Wha- hey!" Anna cried indignantly as she was lifted off the ground and thrown over Kristoff's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting us out here, whether you like it or not," he said, getting a firm hold of her legs before leaping over one of the creatures and running down the hall back towards the foyer. Having a perfect view of what was going on behind them, Anna watched as the creatures gave chase.

"Put me down, you dumbass! I was getting somewhere!"

"Will you shut up and just let me rescue you?" Her only answer to that was a knee to his stomach. He grunted, but did not misstep or let go of her.

She did not know who was more deserving of her glare, the monsters coming after them or the idiot running away from them and forcing her to come with him. Since the effect would be wasted on her upside-down view of Kristoff's backside, she settled on directing it at their pursuers. A few of them were practically nipping at his heels. She started stabbing at them with her umbrella, managing to jab one in the eye.

The front door was unguarded, so Kristoff managed to slip out, slamming it shut as he fled outside. Anna watched as what could only be described as oily puddles crawled out from under the door, then retook the shape of the little beasts before dashing after them once more. Then Kristoff had them through the gate and he tossed her unceremoniously onto his motorcycle, hastily jamming his helmet on her head. She tried to stand, but he forced her back down into the seat with a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you want to find your family, but there are other, better ways. Remember the tracks?" He pointed towards the prints in the snow beneath the broken window. "There's more, remember? Leading away. We might find them if we follow those."

Anna stared at him. Though the helmet hid her face, he swore he could feel her scowl burning into him. She then looked at the creatures again, who were now at the gate and practically upon them. An indecipherable grumble came from the helmet as she discarded the umbrella to the ground and started up the engine for the motorcycle. Kristoff barely had time to breath a sigh of relief before scrambling to hop on behind her, hanging on tightly as she sped off.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ahhh, Kristoff and Anna are so fun to write xD As for our new keyblader on the scene, you prolly have lots of questions! Those should all be answered soon (as in like, next chapter), it was just they were all sort of in the middle of a situation that needed to be dealt with first xD

Special thanks to **Miss PandaManga** and **digitalstorm977** for posting their reviews! And thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, and PMed me about this story! You all bring tears of joy to my eyes! Hugs and kisses, see you all next week!


	11. Chapter 11

A whisper of platinum blonde hair and a quick flash of azure eyes was all that could be seen of Elsa as she peeked around a corner. The streets were quiet and empty. She let loose a breath she had not realized she had been holding and she turned to face the other two. "It looks like we're in the clear, at least for now."

Somehow the trio had managed to shake the Heartless tailing them. The newcomer had taken the lead, weaving them through random roads and side streets, one time even doubling back on their own trail. It seemed to have worked, for now they finally had a chance to catch their breaths. No words had passed between them until now, so Elsa still knew nothing about this stranger who had appeared from nowhere to leap to their defense. Nothing, except the fact that he chose to arm himself with the strangest weapon she had ever seen. Which, she realized for the first time, was mysteriously absent now. When had it gone missing? Surely he couldn't have dropped it? But then, as far as she could see, there was no place in his outfit that would hide a giant key.

Axel was studying the boy as well, his eyes speculative. He approached him, saying, "So, this is the mighty Keyblade master I've heard so much about?"

He stopped in front of him, hunching forward and bracing his hands against his own knees. Even slouching, Axel was still taller than the stranger. Then he snorted. "This runt? Really?" He flicked the kid in the forehead. Surprised, the boy jumped back, clasping a hand to his brow. Axel turned and tossed his hands up in the air with a shrug. "Color me unimpressed."

"Hey, if it weren't for this _runt_ , you two would be Heartless chow right about now," the other boy shot back in a huff.

Crossing his arms, Axel responded, "We had the situation under control."

"Yeah, right!"

"Um, excuse me?" Elsa interjected uncertainly, raising her hand slightly like a student in class. The two turned towards her, and she suddenly felt a little shy with their attention on her. Clearing her throat, she asked, "What's a Keyblade master? Furthermore, who are you?"

The boy scratched the back of his head. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet? Sorry. My name is Sora. Nice to meet you." He smiled and held out a hand to her.

She almost took it, then faltered, remembering her lack of gloves. She hesitated for a second, then tugged on her sleeve to cover her hand before shaking his. If he thought it odd, he didn't give any indication. "Elsa," she responded, then inclined her chin towards the redhead. "And that's Axel."

There was silence as the two males exchanged glances. Then Axel smirked. "What, isn't it nice to meet me too?"

Sora brushed his fingers over the sore spot on his forehead again. "Not really."

Elsa hid a smile behind her knuckles before prompting, "And a Keyblade is…?"

In answer, Sora raised his arm to be parallel with the ground. A gentle hum filled the air and a flash of blinding white light erupted from his palm, causing Elsa to jump. The light swirled out before him and began to take shape, one that she recognized. As the gleam slowly dimmed, Sora's hand closed around the handle of the key she had seen earlier. "This is a Keyblade."

She nodded. With a name like that, she had guessed as much. "And that would make you its master. But then, what's so special about that? Other than the fact that you are running around and beating things up with an over-inflated door opener?"

"Well, for one thing, it's the only thing that can vanquish Heartless," he explained.

"But they don't really die. They just resurrect and come back."

"Normally, yes. If you defeat one with any other weapon, it just reforms in a place called the Realm of Darkness - the domain of the Heartless. But if you kill one with this," he held his Keyblade up, "it releases any hearts it may have captured and the thing stays dead."

"Well, that's useful," she mused. Gosh, they were talking about this so normally, as if they were discussing nothing more peculiar than than what they had eaten for breakfast. She supposed after the night she had been having so far, nothing could surprise her anymore at this point. "So then, are there a whole bunch of you Keyblade masters out there, fighting some secret war, trying to eradicate all the Heartless?"

"Wouldn't that be something?" Axel piped up. "Problem is, there only seems to be one Keyblade. And it chose him." He quirked an eyebrow, then shook his head and muttered, "God knows why."

"Hey!" Sora snapped.

Trying to keep the topic at hand, Elsa said, "You mentioned that was just one of the things it did. What else can it do?"

"Oh, lots of stuff," Sora brightened, easily distracted from Axel's remark. "It can open or seal any lock."

"A dream come true for any thief. So, Sora, you can give it to us straight, we'll keep your secret: what phat loot have you stolen so far?" Axel asked.

Ignoring him, he continued, "It's especially important because I can use it to lock Waypoint Keyholes."

Elsa tilted her head. "What are those?"

"They're… it's kind of hard to describe," he admitted, scratching his temple in thought.

"Don't hurt yourself there," Axel deadpanned.

He shot Axel a dirty look. "They're like magical keyholes that are scattered throughout our world at random points of significance. Cities, landmarks, places like that."

"Okay then… why would you want to lock one?"

"Because those keyholes protect the hearts of those waypoints from the Heartless. Once locked, the Heartless can never get to it."

Elsa blinked. "So cities… have hearts? Just like people?"

He nodded. "Yup. And if the Heartless get to it, they'll devour it and that city or landmark or whatever will disappear as if it never existed. Buildings, plants, animals, people… _everything_ will go with it, leaving nothing behind." He paused, then looked down. "…it happened to my home."

She was quiet a minute as she thought on his words, before realization struck. "You're from those islands. The ones that have been in the news all week because they vanished into thin air."

Not looking up, his head descended a little further in acknowledgement.

"I… I thought it was a hoax. I'm so sorry." Her eyes filled with pity. She then shot a warning look at Axel. He just shrugged - apparently he had already sagely decided to keep any further wisecracks to himself, at least for now. "How did you escape?"

"I'm not sure actually. One minute, I'm on Destiny Islands as it is being overrun with Heartless and darkness is tearing it apart bit by bit and scattering the pieces into this giant, evil vortex… the next, I'm waking up in a bed in some strange town surrounded by a bunch of people I don't know. They apparently found me unconscious in an alley and took me in."

Elsa rubbed her arms against a chill that had nothing to do with the snow. "And you were the only survivor?"

"I don't know. Maybe… but I'm hoping my friends survived too. Maybe you've seen them?" He fished a phone out of his pocket and started tapping at its screen, pulling up a photo that he showed to the other two. "Their names are Riku and Kairi."

The picture depicted three people standing together. The one in the middle was Sora. His eyes were crossed and his fingers were hooked in his lower lip, drawing it down to show off his bottom row of teeth and gums. To his left was a boy with electric teal eyes and shoulder-length, shockingly white hair. He had a smug grin on his face as he put up two fingers in the form of bunny ears behind Sora's head. On the right of the photo was a girl with indigo eyes and short auburn hair that rivaled Anna's. She was flashing the camera a sweet smile and was perfectly posed for the picture, isolating herself from the antics of the two boys to her left.

Elsa looked to Axel, who shook his head. Frowning as she handed Sora's phone back to him, she said, "Sorry, but we haven't seen them." At the downcast look on his face, she added hastily, "But I'll keep an eye out for them. If we do cross paths, I'll be sure to tell them you're looking for them."

He perked up ever so slightly at that. "Thanks."

"So that's why you're here then? You're looking for your friends?" she asked.

"Uh-huh. Well, that, and I'm looking for the Waypoint Keyhole here."

Her lips formed a perfect O. "There's one here? In my city?" At his nod, she said, "Strange… I've lived here my whole life, but I don't remember ever seeing some giant, mysterious, enchanted keyhole just lying around."

"That's because some powerful, mystic mumbo jumbo normally keeps it well hidden," Axel spoke up again. "It's just that the Heartless are really good at ferreting it out once they have the scent."

"That's right," Sora agreed before giving him a weird look. He returned his gaze to Elsa, "How come he knows this stuff but you don't?"

"Oh yeah, I'm a total newb when it comes to all of this," Elsa said. "Heartless and all that? I knew nothing about it until Axel explained it me a few hours ago. Although… he failed to mention the Keyblade."

Bobbing his shoulders, Axel responded, "Hey, you didn't ask."

"And how was I supposed to know to ask?" He shrugged again and she shook her head, turning back to Sora. "Anyway, he's part of some group that seems to know all about this stuff."

"What group?" Sora asked with a frown.

"What's the matter? Upset you weren't invited to join our super secret club?" Axel teased.

Elsa went on, "Whoever they are, they sent Axel to save me when I was attacked by the Heartless earlier tonight."

"You hear that? I'm a bonafide hero. Got it memorized?" He tapped a finger to his temple.

"He's been my protector ever since. It seems that Ha-" her voice cracked and died in her throat in the middle of saying her boyfriend's name. Or rather, _ex_ -boyfriend now, she supposed. She had not thought about what had transpired since she had had her little episode in the alleyway. She had not had a chance too. She had almost forgotten all about it. Forgetting had been… nice. Burying the memories and ignoring the dull ache in her chest, she swallowed and said, "It seems that there is someone who has some authority over the Heartless that keeps sending them after us so that they can capture me."

"Because of your ice powers?" Sora suggested.

Her eyes widened. "...so you saw?"

"It was kind of hard to miss while watching you fight off the Heartless. I also saw his fire powers," he pointed at Axel. "So then… I guess you're responsible for bringing Christmas early this year?" He spread out his hands, gesturing to all the snow.

Elsa took her braid in hand and anxiously started twisting it as she blushed and look down. "...yeah. It was an accident."

"Why don't you undo it?"

"I can't. I don't know how," she admitted with a wince.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and looked up to see Sora smiling at her. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll figure it out when the time comes." He glanced at Axel inquisitively. "If her powers can do all this, couldn't yours undo it?"

Placing his hands on his hips, he replied, "Well, I could set everything on fire to melt the snow. But then the city would be nothing more than a humongous pile of ash and the snowstorm would still be running amuck up there." He stabbed a finger into the air, indicating the angry clouds. "But sure, genius, let's give your bright idea a go," he quipped.

"You're… not scared of me?" Elsa spoke up. "Of what I can do? You're not weirded out?"

"Hey, I run around bashing skulls in with a ginormous key, I don't have room to judge," Sora shrugged.

Managing a small grin, she looked at his Keyblade. "Speaking of, how did you come by that? Is there some secluded temple hidden somewhere with monks that have trained you to use it since you were old enough to walk?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No. Actually, it came to me while my island was being destroyed by the Heartless. The darkness had been about to devour me whole when I just suddenly summoned it for the first time out of nowhere. I slew as many of them as I could, but it was already too late."

"So you're almost as new to all of this as I am," Elsa stated. She then pointed at his bracer. "What about that? Did that just appear on your wrist at the same time you got the Keyblade?"

Sora raised his arm to better display the metal armband. "This? Actually, it was given to me by the people who found me, after they realized I was the Keyblade wielder."

"What's with the symbols on it?" Up close, she was able to see the the sigils better, of which there were two. Oddly enough, one depicted that of a snarling hound and the other was that of one angry-looking duck.

"They're tied into the powers of the bracer. This one," he tapped the image of the dog, "lights up green when its ability is used, which was that giant green shield you saw. I can activate it myself with a thought, but it also seems to react to danger that I'm unaware of. I can't count the number of times it has practically yanked my arm out of its socket as it pulled up to block an attack I didn't see coming."

He then pointed at the mallard. "And this one glows blue. It helps me use magic. I can cast magic without it… I think I can anyway, I haven't really tried yet. But I know it also amplifies my magical abilities, which definitely helps since I'm still such a beginner."

She nodded, then scrunched up her nose. "So why a duck and a dog?"

Shrugging, Sora said, "Not sure really. The people who gave it to me said it was ancient. Maybe they're just emblems that represent warriors that were well-known centuries ago."

"So those people that gave it to you… were they the ones that told you about the Heartless and your Keyblade and everything?"

"They told me some of it, yeah. They also gave me this, which filled in the rest," he lifted a lock of his hair that was hiding his right ear. Nestled in it like an earbud was a tiny round device with a small blinking light on it. "They called it The Cricket. It's like some sort of database… whenever I have any questions, like about my Keyblade or something, I hear a voice in my head that gives me the answers."

Axel let loose a whistle. "Wow, aren't you tricked out with all sorts of fancy gadgets? So, Mr. Double-Oh-Seven, does that thing pinpoint the Waypoint Keyholes for you?"

"Unfortunately, no," Sora sighed. "It just let's me know if there's one in the area. But I've been observing the Heartless since I got here and noticed they all seem to be heading in the same direction. I ran into you two when I was tracking a group to see where they were going."

"You think they're closing in on the Keyhole," Elsa deduced.

"That'd be my guess."

She chewed her lower lip in contemplation. After a few seconds, she said, "Let us help you."

"What?!" Axel's hand closed around her upper arm and spun her around to face him. "Elsa, he's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Besides, we don't really have time for this. What about the people I wanted to take you to so you could get help with your abilities?"

"They can wait," she stated simply, but firmly. "What if-" she hesitated, then took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. "What if… Hans is there? At the Keyhole? What if that's where he's keeping my parents? Or Anna, or Olaf?

"Look, all I've ever done is shut myself off from the world, isolated myself from it as I hid in my room. And tonight? All I've been doing is selfishly relying on others to help me and take care of me. Well, not anymore. I'm tired of being a scared little mouse." She looked down at her hands. "It's time to put these powers I've been given to good use. If I can help Sora… no, if I can help save my family and the city I grew up in and call home, then I want to do it! And I _can_ help, I know I can!"

He frowned. "But-"

She crossed her arms. "I've made up my mind. You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I'm going."

With a frustrated growl, he rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Fine. I guess I'll go too."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it," Sora said with a smile. He then gestured with his arm for them to follow him. "Come on. They were heading this way."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Yay! So Sora has finally officially been introduced! And little nods to Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy as well! I actually did consider trying to make them their own characters, but just felt that would be too many people to juggle, and they weren't really necessary for the story I have in mind. But hey, at least Sora got some sweet bling out of it!

Also, not worrying about the "world order" and meddling in this AU since it's all on one planet (think of cities in my AU as different worlds in KH). I mean sure, Sora's not gonna go up to just any random muggle on the street and show off his keyblade, but he certainly doesn't have any problems about showing it off to others with obvious powers xD

Special thanks to **Miss PandaManga** and **Juuromaru** for posting their reviews! And thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, and PMed me about this story! Keep being the amazing, beautiful human beings you all are! See ya next week!


	12. Chapter 12

Following Sora, they did spot some Heartless after a while. Sure enough, the little shadows, flattened against the ground, were scurrying in the same direction. If the creatures noticed the trio, they did not show any sign as they continued on their way. The teenagers hung back to put some distance between them and their quarry, but did not let them get too far ahead. Just enough to keep them in their sights.

As they continued on, they eventually started seeing more Heartless. They trickled in at first, but their numbers grew steadily. It was getting harder and harder to hide from the little beasts, but somehow they managed it. And watching them, it was very clear that they were definitely being drawn to something.

What that something was, they shortly discovered, was a condemned building. Chain-linked fences separated the outside world from the structure that stood at least ten stories high. It may have been a majestic building decades ago, but now it was old and decrepit. Even with how far away from it they stood, they could clearly see that practically every window was either broken or boarded up. Whole chunks of walls were missing, revealing piping, wires, and other innards. What wall there was left was a pale, tired brownish-red color that just looked defeated under the graffiti that adorned it.

After watching a few Heartless slip silently under the fence, Sora gestured for the other two to accompany him as he circled around the structure. They came around to another side of it where there seemed to be less shadows sneaking in, at least for the moment. They stealthily crept up to the barrier where two of the fences met, held together by a chain and lock. Sora took the lock in hand and softly tapped his Keyblade against it. It instantly popped open with a click before Sora gently put it on the ground and pulled one of the fences forward to create an opening for them to enter through.

Axel nudged the lock with his foot as he walked by. "Neato."

Elsa put a finger to her lips, shushing him. He just shrugged before following them inside.

Up close, the building looked even worse. It did not help that it had swarms of Heartless crawling up its walls, disappearing into windows only to come back out through other windows further up as they continued to climb. The side of the building closest to the teenagers was clear of the creatures for the most part. Still, they approached it with caution.

There was a rusty metal door that blocked their entrance in. It did not seem to have a doorknob or any other sort of handle.

"Okay, oh great Keyblade Master, do your stuff," Axel whispered, lightly rapping his knuckles against the door.

"I can't. There's no keyhole," Sora responded. He pointed to a portion of the wall next to the doorway where a bunch of tiny, shredded cords stuck out. "It looks like it used to be operated mechanically with a keypad or something, but that's long gone." He experimented with tapping the Keyblade to the wires. Nothing. For good measure, he touched the Keyblade to the door itself as well, but it did not react either. He shook his head.

Axel stroked his chin thoughtfully, then snapped his finger. "Follow my lead," he told Elsa. He then pressed his hands against the metal surface. Nothing happened at first. Then after a few seconds, it started to glow red around his fingers and slowly spread outward. The other two could soon feel the heat radiating from the door as the entire thing burned a dim, but steady crimson.

He removed his hands and backed away from the door, then looked at her. Catching on, Elsa raised her arms and aimed at the slab of metal. A wispy, hazy blue beam flew from her fingertips and struck the door. Frost began to form on it as she persisted, rapidly cooling the overheated metal.

She stopped once the door was completely iced over seconds later. Axel immediately stepped forward to deliver a powerful front kick, driving the heel of his foot into the door. It did not quite give, but several large cracks appeared, spreading out like a spider web from where he had hit it. Raising his knee up to his chest again, he gave it another forceful kick and this time the now brittle metal thoroughly shattered and flew inward. There was a rumble from inside the building as something else seemed to have been knocked loose. A second later, they watched through the entrance as chunks of debris large enough to crush skulls clattered down from above onto the floor.

"Well, that looks safe," Elsa muttered, waving her hand back and forth to clear the dust while looking around to make sure the coast was still clear. It seemed the Heartless had either not heard the commotion or did not believe it worth investigating. "Walking blindly into an abandoned building that's ready to collapse in on itself. What a fantastic idea."

"Let's go, it looks like they're all heading to the roof, so we should get up there too," Sora said, walking into the building first with the other two close behind.

They walked through what may have been a lobby at one time, but now was dirty and unkempt and served no other purpose now beyond providing the rats a communal area to meet up and mingle. Beyond the rodents, the three of them were alone. Not a Heartless to be seen. There was an elevator, but it had clearly been eons since the thing was last functional. They found what was left of the door leading to the stairwell and began to climb the steps. It was dark, with only a scant amount of moonlight streaming in through the occasional window to help them see. The sounds of their footsteps reverberated loudly around them.

As they passed the third floor landing and began the trek up to the fourth, Elsa suddenly got the distinct feeling she was being watched. She looked to her right and her gaze was met with a pair of very large, very bright and very yellow eyes. With a gasp, she practically tripped over her own feet as she threw her hands up. An icicle burst from the wall where the Heartless that had startled her was clinging to, spearing the creature as it shot out and stopped just short of poking Elsa in the nose. The Heartless disintegrated instantly.

Elsa started a second time as she spotted two more of the monsters on the wall a little further up. They stared down at her in a way that made her skin crawl, then after a minute they clambered to and out a window.

"That was weird," she said as Axel ducked under the ice spike to climb further up the steps. "They didn't attack us. They just... watched."

"Maybe whatever is at the top is more important to them than seizing us. All the more reason to get up there right away," Sora said as he began to run up the stairs even faster.

The further up they got, the more Heartless they spotted. Some would stop to observe the trio before continuing on their way, but most just outright ignored them. Not one of the creatures showed the slightest inclination of pouncing on them. While she felt she should have been enjoying the break from fighting the Heartless, she could only think how unsettling the whole situation seemed. There was definitely something very wrong.

It was along about the eighth floor when it happened. The only warning Elsa had was a sharp cracking sound overhead. She looked up as a massive fractured support beam started plummeting down towards her. There was no time to react, no time be scared. All she could do was watch as she was about to be crushed.

Abruptly, something hit her, but it wasn't the beam. A sudden force barreled into her from the side, pinning her against the wall. Axel. The beam landed with a thunderous boom where she had just been standing a split second before and it noisily scraped against the stairs as it slid down to crash into the wall at the bottom of the steps. Chunks of rubble were still raining down from above in the beam's wake, but Elsa was shielded from it by Axel's body as he hunched protectively over her.

"Are you guys okay?" came Sora's concerned voice from further up the stairwell. He had been far enough ahead of them to be out of the wreckage zone.

Elsa coughed some of the dust out of her lungs before calling back, "I'm fine." She then looked up worriedly at Axel. "And you? Are you alright?"

He swiped some dirt and bits of cement out of his hair before giving her a thumbs up. "Yup. No sweat."

Her eyes darted to the crumpled remains of the support beam, then up towards the ceiling. "I wonder how that even happened?"

"This place is falling apart," Axel shrugged. "Would probably topple like a Jenga tower if we even so much as breath wrong. Having a bunch of Heartless swarming all over it isn't helping."

She nodded slowly, looking up at him. "...thank you. For saving me. Yet again."

"Don't mention it," he responded as he backed up out of her personal space. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before turning to continue up the stairs.

She stared down at her hand. Elsa wondered if he realized how comforting and reassuring the skin contact was to someone like her. That is, someone who had not been able to safely touch another for years. Her hand felt warm where he had squeezed it. She curled her fingers and suppressed a smile before running up the stairs after the boys.

Finally, they reached the roof access. It had no door on the hinges and had been fully boarded up at one point, but most of the planks were broken now, nothing more than jagged edges framing the opening. Only one board remained intact along the bottom and was easily stepped over. The three slowly, warily walked out into the night air, snow crunching under their feet. A three-foot tall wall bordered the edge of the roof, but there were several pieces of it missing, forming large gaps in it.

They were alone. No Heartless. No signs of the Keyhole. Nothing.

Keyblade held defensively in hand, Sora whispered, "Strange... where'd they all go?"

Scratching his nose, Axel said, "So... who else gets the feeling we've strolled our happy asses right on into a trap?"

In answer, several puffs of dark mist exploded around them. Heartless leapt forth from the jet black clouds, surrounding them. And this time, it was not just the standard little beasts they were now used to seeing, though they were there too. Among them were slightly bigger ones, in rusty armor that clanked as they danced from foot to foot. There was some strange symbol on their chests. Hulking, round bruisers taller than Axel also made up a part of the ambush. They flexed their shadowy muscles as a few other Heartless with wings flew overhead. Flying Heartless... could it get much worse?

"Well, well, well. What a pleasant surprise," said a familiar voice.

Apparently, yes. It could get _so_ much worse.

Stepping out of the shadows, Hans sneered at the three of them. "I set this bait only expecting to ensnare the Keyblade wielder. Imagine my extreme delight to discover that you, dear Elsa, decided to tag along. I was planning on capturing you later, so thank you for saving me the trouble. My my, two for the price of one. This must be my lucky-"

He was cut short as Axel shot up a hand in his direction and abruptly shot off a fireball the size of a boulder.

* * *

"What the hell were those things?" Kristoff asked as Anna powered down Sven in front of a side street. They had left their attackers in the dust quickly with the help of the bike, but he still kept glancing behind them.

Anna stepped off the motorcycle, placing the helmet in the seat as she followed the tracks. They were almost covered up by a fresh layer of snow, but still just barely visible. "I don't care what they were. They just better not have hurt my family."

He blinked before jogging to catch up to her. "You're really unfazed by what just happened, aren't you?"

"Hey, I just found out tonight that my sister is... I don't know, some sort of snow queen. Strange shadow monsters really don't seem like that big of a deal at this point."

Kristoff stared at her, then shook his head with a half smile.

The alley they had wandered into resembled the front yard back at the mansion, in that there were footprints everywhere in the snow. In fact, she'd wager that there were even more here. Something had definitely gone down here. Which is why it took several minutes of carefully scanning the tracks before Anna finally came to a conclusion.

"It all stops here. They all came in here, but nothing ever left. It's just like they simply vanished." Growling in frustration, she banged her fist against a wall. "Damn it! Where is Elsa?"

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. There's has to be a clue we're missing here. We'll find her."

She frowned. "But how? How are we supposed to find her now?"

Suddenly, the night sky flared up a soft, blazing red. Anna started, then ran out of the alley towards the source of the light. She ran into the street just in time to see a giant flash of fire die out on top of a building several blocks away.

"My guess would be to start there," she heard Kristoff say behind her.

With a hopeful grin, she nodded. "It's worth a shot. Let's go!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Oh gosh, shit is about to go down! Are you ready to ruuuuuumblllllle?!

Special thanks to **SoraKairiRikuNamine, Spiderfan626,** and **Miss PandaManga** for posting their reviews! **SoraKairiRikuNamine** has posted their first short story, be sure to check it out! And if you want to read more Frozen/KH fanfics, check out **Spiderfan626** 's stories! And another shout out for **Miss PandaManga** for just being so awesome - seriously, if you can read French, go read her fanfics xD Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! Keep being the stunningly gorgeous and boundlessly wonderful human beings you all are! See ya next week!


	13. Chapter 13

Hans sidestepped the danger with ease. The monstrous orb of fire sailed harmlessly past, shrinking and fizzling out just as it went over the edge of the roof.

An annoyed scowl marred Hans' face as he looked at Axel. "Excuse me. I was talking."

"Oh, is that what that irritating, incessant droning was?" he responded, twisting his pinky finger in his ear. He went on mockingly, "My mistake. Please continue."

His lip curled before he shifted his gaze to Sora. "Keyblade wielder. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hans. I'm a former… _associate_ of Elsa's," He said the word 'associate' coldly after some careful consideration, a cruel grin twisting his face. She looked down immediately, feeling numb.

"What do you want?" Sora asked, Keyblade poised to strike.

"You're not getting out of this one. Your fate is sealed, and I can only hold the Heartless at bay for so long. But if you want your friends here," he gestured towards Elsa and Axel, "to come out of this unharmed, then you won't put up a fight."

The three exchanged a hard look between each other, then Sora smirked. "I think I like our chances. No deal."

"Hans," Elsa spoke up, balling her hands into fist to suppress their shaking. "Where's Olaf? What did you do with him?"

"He's currently indisposed," he answered, his voice dangerously soft. "In fact, he's keeping your parents company."

Her eyes widened. "My…? You… What have you done with them?! If you've hurt them in any way-"

He laughed. "Both them and your precious butler are alive. For now, at least. And if you come with me quietly, they'll stay that way. I'll even take you to them."

Elsa grit her teeth and felt her eyes burning. She blinked the sensation away and shook her head. Where Elsa seemed to have lost her voice, Axel interjected, "Or we could simply beat the shit out of you until you just tell us where they are."

Hans narrowed his eyes at Elsa as he waited for her answer, but she did not utter a word to contradict Axel. He harrumphed. "Very well then. Have it your way."

The army of Heartless instantly surged forward like the floodgates of evil had been opened.

Sora waited until the first wave were just about to reach him, then lifted his Keyblade above his head, pointing it towards the sky and the glyph on his brace began to glow blue. A translucent sphere appeared, swirling with black, greys, and purples. It was small at first, but rapidly expanded, enveloping the Heartless before him. The monsters were suddenly pounded flat to the ground, and it was clear that this time, it was not of their own doing. It was like they were having the life crushed out of them. The arms and feelers squirmed in agony before they erupted into nothingness. They next wave were quick to replace the first, but Sora was ready for them as well. He swiped his Keyblade through the first two forerunners, then held it out before him, targeting straight ahead. He revealed that Elsa was not alone in her dominion over ice, as a wide spray of frozen shards shot out, piercing several Heartless.

To his right, Axel stood facing his own onslaught. With a smirk, he slashed his hand sideways, raking his fingers through the air. The ground in front of him was consumed with flames, with no gaps left for respite. Any land bound Heartless unfortunate enough to be caught in it were immediately engulfed and reduced to ashes. As their flying brethren tried to swoop in for an aerial attack, he flung his hands up. Blazing columns shot up and hit their targets with deadly accuracy. For every new monster that appeared, he'd flick his fingers and another blazing pillar would hurl upward. One winged Heartless managed to get within arm's length of Axel, but it seemed to be his intention to let it get that close as he grabbed the creature by the neck and shoved its face down into the molten floor, letting it sizzle.

That left Elsa to protect their flank. She settled for the tried-and-true approach and threw up a glacial barricade several yards high and spanning the length of the roof. Too late to alter course, many of the beast crash landed into it, but the wall held. For those that tried to surmount it, Elsa shot out spikes, stabbing several of the Heartless and stopping them in their tracks.

That threat temporarily dealt with, she shifted her attention to see how the other two were doing, only to spot the redhead leading a few of the airborne Heartless on a merry chase. He was running right towards an opening in the brick wall where the roof ended, preamble to a long drop. She was not quite sure what his plan was, but she got an idea of her own.

"Axel!" she shouted, before aiming her fingertips at the gap he was heading towards. An ice path sprung forth from the edge of the roof at that point and expanded out. Suspended in air, it looped back around in a u-turn, much like the track of a roller coaster. Catching on immediately, Axel leapt onto the ice bridge, knees bent as he slid along it, posed like he was riding a surfboard. His Converse swiftly glided along the slick surface as he leaned into the turn, where the path tilted slightly sideways in order to prevent him from slipping over the edge. As he curved back around towards the roof, he now faced the oncoming Heartless that he had been running away from just a second before. He drew back his arm and his hand formed a fist which sparked and ignited with flames. As his feet returned to the roof, he used the momentum to drive a powerful, fiery punch through three of the smaller floating Heartless. They were destroyed on contact.

"Nice assist!" Axel called at Elsa as he ran past her, charging to meet more foes head on.

Smiling, she turned her focus back to her wall just in time to watch one of the gigantic Heartless slam its whole mass into it. With a loud crash, the entire thing shattered as if it were no more than paper-thin glass. The force of the impact shook the roof, knocking Elsa to the ground. She quickly thrust up her hands, stopping the ice chunks and shards in midair before they showered down on her. She then threw her hands forward, flinging the frozen projectiles back at the hulking Heartless. They bounced uselessly off the thing's oversized belly as it lazily scratched its head, seemingly at a loss for what to do next now that the barrier had been successfully obliterated. Its gleaming eyes fell on Elsa and appeared to realize she was there for the first time. Having figured out its next course of action, its shadowy hands reached out for her.

Suddenly, the Heartless exploded into a hazy mass of black fog and tendrils. Through the dark mist flew the Keyblade, spinning like a propeller. It sliced through the air above her head and zipped over to Sora, who caught it by the handle. He exchanged a brief nod with her before they both turned back to face more enemies.

The keybearer's bracer flashed a sigil in emerald before his shield burst into existence, which he used to shove away a couple Heartless leaping towards him. With his other hand, he swung his blade through more of the shadows, shredding them where they stood. Unseen behind him, another Heartless crept towards his back, closing the distance. As it spread it claws and prepared to pounce, a fiery red beam abruptly pierced the spot between its eyes, continuing on to strike the ground and melt the snow beneath it. The creature didn't even have time to react before it disintegrated.

Axel blew out the thin wisp of smoke coming from his finger before jumping and turning in midair to land back-to-back with Sora. "Rogue bogey dealt with. I got your six," he said before he started slinging fireballs like grenades in one direction. Sora mimicked him by rapidly shooting off fire from his Keyblade like bullets from a rifle to cover the opposite side.

It felt like the fighting went on forever, but in reality it was over in a couple minutes. The three panted as they stood together once more, on guard, but the only opponent left was Hans himself. Hans had a cruel grin on his face as he began to clap, the sound reverberating through the night air. "Well done. Well done," he cooed.

"Is that all you got?" Sora challenged him.

"Oh goodness, no. Those were just the hors d'oeuvres," Hans replied. Suddenly, the whole building shook as if an brief earthquake had struck. "Here comes the main course."

Behind him and to the right, something big rose up from one side of the structure and hooked onto the edge of the building. It was a paw… a giant, monstrous paw. It was a dark as night and had claws bigger than Elsa's head. A second later, its twin joined it, digging into the roof to the left of Hans. A massive, bestial head rose up next, and the creature hauled the rest of its body up onto the roof, taking up nearly half the space available. It looked like a bear, its fur a mixture of whites, greys, and icy blues. The colors faded to black at its paws. Its eyes glowed like two lighthouses in twilight. It had armor clasped around its limbs, along its back and leading into a helmet. The metal was a glossy, oily obsidian, and on the forehead of the helm was that symbol again, the one that had been on a few of the other Heartless.

The trio inched back as the behemoth took a slow step towards them, the floor trembling beneath its paw. It then opened its mouth, displaying its sharp, gleaming set of teeth, and unleashed a thunderous roar, generating a wind that whipped their hair wildly about.

"Is that the largest Heartless you've ever seen?" Elsa muttered, not taking her eyes off of it.

Sora shook his head. "Not quite."

"So, any bright ideas for dealing with Big Ugly here?" Axel asked.

No response was immediately forthcoming. However, Elsa chewed her lower lip in contemplation, then said, "Maybe…"

She took a few steps forward, rubbing her hands together. The bear crouched down and rolled its muscled shoulders, but only watched her and did nothing more, possibly waiting for her to foolishly get too close. Blue mist and snowflakes started to flow around her fingers as she continued to brush them against each other before she knelt down and slammed her palms into the snow.

There was not much snow left. A lot of it had either been melted or blown away in the chaos of battle, but there was at least this small pile left that she wriggled her fingers in. The magic that had been building in her hands sunk into it and it began to vibrate. More snow formed as it expanded out and upward. Higher and higher it grew, taller than Elsa, taller than Axel, soon almost tall enough to rival the Heartless. It began to sculpt and take form as well. Its base separated into two columns, forming stout legs. Arms developed, with thin biceps, thick forearms, and tapered fingers made of jagged ice. Finally, a head emerged, its face formed by two holes for the eyes and a third, much larger one for the mouth.

Elsa backed up from it, surveying her work. It did not move at first, but her magical, snowflake-laced mist was still sparkling and swirling around it. Suddenly, like a marionette that had its strings cut, the snow statue was a statue no more as it shook itself and flexed its new-found fingers.

A bellow from the Heartless tore through the night once more, bringing the attention of everyone back to it, including the newly formed giant made of snow. Its eyeholes narrowed, not needing eyebrows to display its displeasure. It stepped forward to respond with a roar of its own, deadly spikes of ice shooting up out of its shoulders, back, legs, and arms.

Axel blinked. "Woah. I didn't know you could make abominable snowmen."

"Neither did I. I was just giving it a try and hoping it would work," Elsa responded with a small smile. "I think I'll name him Marshmallow."

Marshmallow charged forward as the bear growled and waited. The snow entity took a swing at its head with a spiky fist, but the Heartless was quick for its size and managed to duck out of the way. The attack had left Marshmallow open, and the bear rent its claws through its abdomen. A large chunk of Marshmallow's snowy gut went flying, leaving a gaping hole where its stomach should have been. It glared down at the wound, which almost immediately began to fill up with snow again. Once fully restored, an icy sheen flashed over its entire body as it hardened the snow against future attacks before returning its attention to its opponent.

"Come on, let's help it out!" Sora called as he broke out into a dash. The other two were not far behind. The shorter boy got there first, sharply turning to the left and running along the Heartless's side. He nimbly slashed and stabbed his Keyblade in rapid succession on whatever unprotected flesh he could find, quick to leap out of the way should a paw take a swipe at him. Axel barreled straight toward the muzzle. At the last second, he threw himself down on his back, using his momentum combined with ground slick from melted snow to slide himself forward, feet first, under the belly of the beast. In his wake, a fire trail erupted, shooting flames high and roasting its gut. Elsa held back a bit, providing cover-fire. Icicles propelled from her fingertips, striking the bear in any and all points that looked vulnerable.

Their attacks may have been doing damage, but they hardly seemed like more than annoyances to the Heartless, with the Keyblade being slightly more so. However, they also served as distractions. The bear turned its focus towards one of their assaults with a furious snarl, only to have Marshmallow land a heavy punch to its jaw, the ice spikes on its knuckles shattering with the blow.

The monster shook its head and its eyes seemed to blaze even brighter. It reared up onto its hind legs and slammed its front paws back down. You could practically see the quake ripple out from the point of impact, and Marshmallow stumbled. The Heartless took advantage of the lowered defense to swing at Marshmallow's leg. With its hide hardened, snow was not torn out like stuffing this time. Unfortunately, the leg was instead broken clean off and the snowman tumbled face down to the ground.

The bear raised itself onto its haunches once more, this time bringing all its might down on Marshmallow's back, aiming in spots where sharp ice quills were not sticking out. The whole building shook with the pummeling, and it sounded like something collapsed in on itself a few floors below. A crackling sound could also be heard coming from the snow entity as those shadowy paws bashed into its back.

As the Heartless raised itself to attack once again, new spikes popped out of Marshmallow's back, longer and thicker and leaving very little space in between. The bear was unable to avoid them this time and it howled in pain as its paws came down on those razor points.

Marshmallow used the reprieve to swiftly grow a fresh leg. It then delivered a brutal uppercut to its opponent's maw as it rose to its feet again.

The Heartless backed up a step, reassessing the situation. Then it opened its mouth and from it a syrupy blackness oozed out. Four inky tendrils sprung forth from it that wrapped around Marshmallow's limbs, constricting its movement.

Throwing up a hand, a jet of fire exploded from Axel's palm and struck the nearest tendril, which was wrapped around Marshmallow's right leg. The curl squirmed and shuddered under the inferno, but did not relinquish its hold. On the other side, Sora leapt and hacked away at the tentacle entangled around Marshmallow's left arm. Slowly, a dent started forming in the thick ooze, and it got deeper and deeper with each hit, but progress was slow.

Elsa was about to aim at a third tendril and attempt to freeze it over, but hesitated on seeing what little headway the other two were making. Whatever this black gunk was made of was tough. Maybe there was a better way… possibly she could disrupt the Heartless's gooey onslaught somehow?

Settling on what was quickly becoming an old favorite, she pointed her fingers the bear's feet. A glassy surface of ice began to coat the floor beneath the bear, spreading out under its paws. All it took was for it to shift its weight ever so slightly, and suddenly its claws were scraping against the ice, trying to dig in and maintain its balance, but having no such luck.

As it jerked around, the ooze did not stop pouring from between its teeth, but it did weaken and shrivel a bit as the Heartless lost its concentration. With that, Sora was able to land a final blow that snapped the tendril in half, freeing one of Marshmallow's arm. The snow creature immediately put his liberated appendage to use, slamming it down hard on the bear's back. Its armor cracked under the force and the Heartless lost its footing entirely, sprawling flat on its chest, limbs splayed out.

"Yes!" Elsa chirped, readying another ice attack.

It never went off however as a hand abruptly closed around her arm and yanked her none too gently. She struggled to keep from falling over before looking to the owner of hand and her eyes widened.

"Hello again, my dear Elsa ," Hans whispered in a sickly sweet voice.

She tried to pull herself free of his grasp, but his grip was painfully strong and unyielding. "Let go of me! Or I'll-"

"Please, spare me your empty threats," he cut her off coldly. "We both know you can't bring yourself to harm me. You're still too in love with me."

Elsa opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. What he said was true. So heartrendingly true. Her sight blurred ever so slightly, and she immediately closed her eyes against the tears and turned her head away.

With the enemy lying prone before him, Marshmallow raised its gleaming fist high above its head and battered the bear's back once again. This time the armor shattered completely, exposing the grey and blue hide underneath. The Heartless quivered and started to stand back up.

"As I thought," Hans said to Elsa's lack of response. "Now let's hurry out of here, while the buffoons are distracted. There is someone who is very eager to meet you." He turned and began to walk, pulling her with him.

"No!" Elsa snapped, digging the heels of her boots in. It did little good however as she just was now merely dragged along the snow. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

The bear was not fast enough to regain its footing, allowing Sora enough time to hop and vault himself up onto its now uncovered back. Changing his grip on his Keyblade, he lifted it high and plunged it like a stake into the core of the Heartless. It bellowed in agony then wobbled as misty wisps began to trail up from its body.

Scowling, Hans turned back to her. "We don't have time for this, you brat!" She ignored him, leaning back and trying to use her entire body weight to escape his hold. "Enough!" He snarled and his hand rose, preparing to strike her.

The Heartless fell to the ground for the final time, landing with a heavy thud. It began to vanish into oblivion, a giant, crystalline heart emerging from within it and floating up into the night. Its collapse rattled the building and it seemed the structure had decided it had had enough. A support beam broke somewhere and with a jolt, the roof began to tilt to one side. The tremor and sudden shift surprised Hans and he stumbled, losing his grip on Elsa. Without his counterweight, Elsa suddenly flew backwards, the new slant beneath her feet not helping the situation.

Then there was nothing at all beneath her feet.

Axel and Sora turned just in time to watch Elsa plummet over the edge.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Dun dun dun! Oh noes, cliff hanger! xP Except, not so much a cliff as a tall building, and not so much hanging as straight up free falling. Whatever shall happen?! And man, I know a lot of you were eager for Hans to get punched this chapter, but not quite that time yet. I mean, gotta have the mini-boss fight first, right? Don't worry tho, Hans will get his ass beat soon enough!

Special thanks to **Spiderfan626,** **SoraKairiRikuNamine,** and **Miss PandaManga** for posting their reviews! Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! A thousand thanks for your support, keep being astoundingly awesome! Tune in next week to see how our intrepid heroes get out of this one!


	14. Chapter 14

There was no pause, no hesitation. In the blink of an eye, Axel had bolted over the ledge after her.

Eyes bulging, Sora shouted after him, "Have you lost your mind?!"

Suddenly struck with the realization that they were forgetting someone, Sora turned and threatenly raised his Keyblade at Hans. Or rather, the space where Hans had been. He was nowhere to be seen now. Letting out a frustrated huff, he sprinted over to the edge of the roof to watch. He felt the ground rumble as Marshmallow walked up behind him - it seemed the abominable snowman was also anxious to see what the outcome would be.

Time lagged to a crawl for Elsa as she fell. Her braid and loose strands of hair whipped around her face in slow motion as the wind rushed against her back. Her mind was completely blank as she stared up at the sky, and the only reaction she could muster was to squeeze her eyes shut as tight as she could, shutting out the world, shutting out what was happening, what was _about_ to happen. She had no idea how long she was like that, but it felt like an eternity.

Abruptly, an arm wrapped around her back and hugged her tightly to a broad chest, snapping her out of it. Her eyes shot open, but all she could see was a black hoodie. There was a subtle smell of cinnamon and burnt timber. _Axel?_ A second arm looped under her knees and secured her against him.

Then everything plunged into pitch darkness, pure and absolute and unnatural. There was a total and complete absence of light. The very blackness seemed to press against her, making her skin feel slimy and unclean. It was suffocating her. Stabbing pains started shooting through her heart and she writhed in agony. What the hell was going on?!

As quickly as it all started, it was over. The pain ceased and the absence of it made her practically giddy. She could breath again and she panted and gulped down air. Colors returned to Elsa's vision, blurred and distorted. It took a few seconds for it all to come into focus and she could recognize shapes and objects again. Axel had her cradled in his arms and he was kneeling on the ground. A few yards away was the condemned building and the door they had destroyed to get into it. They had somehow made it to the bottom of the structure without breaking every bone in their body.

As her heartbeat slowly returned to normal and her breath steadied, she looked up the redhead. "Axel… what… how…?"

She looked up past him and her eyes widened. Something huge and blindingly white was speeding down towards them. She squeaked and covered her head with her arms. The action was not necessary as the thing, which turned out to be Marshmallow, landed several feet away, the ground and rubble upon it quaking violently on impact. Seemingly unaffected by a ten story drop, Marshmallow stretched, its frozen joints creaking, then knelt down with a hand outstretched. Held protectively in the palm was Sora, who gave the snow creature an appreciative smile before jumping past its fingers onto the ground. The smile vanished however as he looked at Axel, his eyes turning hard. He said nothing.

Elsa looked from Sora to Axel, then back again. She scrambled to her feet, her knees nearly buckling beneath her as she was still weak from… _whatever_ had just happened. She frowned as she stared at Axel, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze. "How… did you do that?"

Sora was the one to respond. "He's a Nobody. That's how."

* * *

"No, no, no, no, _no!_ " Anna ground out through her teeth as the motorcycle jolted and began to sputter and lose speed. The little needle in the gas gauge was pointing at empty. Though the rational part of her mind knew it would do no good, she squashed the thought as she twisted the throttle hard. Sven responded by merely decelerating further.

As the bike came to complete stop, she unfastened her helmet and tore it off her head to glower at Kristoff out of the corner of her eye. "Why didn't you fill the tank all the way up?"

"It _was_ full. That is, before you took it for a joyride that covered every inch of this damn city," he huffed, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms.

She narrowed his eyes at him, before looking back at her intended destination. The building they had been heading towards was much closer now. She could see its wear and tear. The top half of it was now slanted to one side, which it had not been doing a moment ago. That was distressing, but at least it was not tilting any further.

It was indeed not much further. Probably only another minute or two by foot.

She stared at it for another few seconds. Then, throwing the helmet to the ground, she was suddenly off the bike and running down the street, her skirts flapping wildly around her ankles.

"Hey, wait!" Kristoff reached out after her, but she was too fast and already far beyond his grasp. He stumbled off his motorcycle after her, but stopped when he heard it clatter to the ground behind him. He looked back at it, turned over onto its side in the middle of the road and appearing rather forsaken. He then returned his gaze to Anna's retreating form. He hesitated for a second more.

"Damn it," he muttered before running after Anna, leaving Sven behind as a light layer of snow began to cover it.

* * *

Axel's head snapped up towards Sora. "How did you…?"

Sora tapped a finger to his ear, the little light on the device in it rapidly flashing away. It seemed the Cricket was feeding him some information, and from the look in Sora's eyes, it was not finished.

Elsa blinked. "He's a what?"

"A Nobody," Sora repeated. He went on, his words sounding recited, as if he were reading them off a teleprompter, "When a Heartless steals a heart from someone, not only is a Heartless born, but a Nobody is created as well from what remains."

She knit her eyebrows together. "From what remains? You mean-"

"Their soul, their body. No heart. They don't really exist and are just empty shells. They don't have any emotions or feelings… nothing. They feel nothing."

Her eyes widened and she went rigid as his statement sunk in. Her mind began to race.

Sora continued, "Nobodies acquire powers they did not necessarily have before their heart was ripped from them. The stronger ones tend to focus on a certain element they develop an affinity for: wind, lightning, earth… fire." His eyes flicked to Axel. "They also have dark powers at their disposal. Such as teleporting with Corridors of Darkness. That's what Axel just used to save you. And that's also how the Cricket was able to identify what he was. If it hadn't been for that, I'd have gone on thinking he was just as human as you or me.

"Anyway, travelling through Corridors of Darkness can hurt someone with a heart. The more pure the heart, the more pain the darkness will cause. Heartless can traverse them since they are Darkness itself. Nobodies can use them because they have no hearts. For you, the experience just now must have been… unpleasant, to say the least."

Elsa barely acknowledged his words as she stared at Axel. Sora's earlier words still echoed in her mind. _They don't have any emotions or feelings… nothing. They feel nothing._ For the first time in forever, she had allowed someone to get close to her. She had not even known him for a full day, and yet she thought she had found a friend in someone, her first friend in… she did not even remember how long. And now she was finding out that he did not feel the same way. That he _couldn't_ feel the same way. That it was all an act and he felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. She searched his eyes, silently pleading for him to deny it, to produce some evidence to the contrary. He returned her gaze with a blank expression. Not able to endure it any longer, Elsa looked down. She felt cold.

"Nobodies normally come out looking misshapen and inhuman, kind of like Heartless. But sometimes, if they had a strong heart and will as a human, their Nobody retains their human shape. A group of such Nobodies have apparently banded together to lead the rest of them. They call themselves Organization XIII. Their objectives at this time are unknown." Sora fell silent, sagging slightly as he held a hand to his head, apparently finished. The Cricket had shared all the information it had.

She lifted her head once more, her eyes flashing dangerously now. "What did the Organization want with me, Axel?" she asked softly. An icy breeze began to slowly whirl around her, causing her bangs and any hair that had come loose from her braid to dance.

"...I told you. They could help you le-"

"Stop lying and tell me the truth!" she snarled.

He scratched the back of his head, his answer not immediately forthcoming. After a pause, he finally said, "It wasn't technically a lie… not entirely. They could help you… if they wanted to. They didn't really explain why they wanted me to bring you in, but I think they were curious about you. Your ice powers are very similar to one of our own, but you're not a Nobody. I think they wanted to learn more about you, to study you. Possibly turn you into one of us… to see if your powers would grow to be even stronger as a Nobody."

She clenched her hands into fist to keep them from shaking. Frost had begun to coat her fingers. "So, you wanted to run experiments on me like some kind of lab rat… then turn me into the _monsters_ that you are?"

"Not me," he rapidly shook his head. "I was just supposed to be the delivery boy. Get you to come with me by any means necessary."

A brief, sharp laugh escaped her lips. "So that's all this has been. A trick. You've been manipulating me the entire time. And I let you. I made it so easy… I was so desperate for someone, anyone to turn to." She closed her eyes as the wind surrounding her picked up, flickering here and there with specks of snow. First Hans, now Axel. Boy, did she really know how to pick them. What next? Would Sora use her body as a meat shield to fend off attacking Heartless?

"I wasn't going to hand you over to them," she heard Axel say and her eyes flew open. "Well… I was going to at first. Orders are orders, you know? But then I got to know you."

She rolled her eyes. "So then what? You felt bad and had a change of _heart?_ Save it, I'm not going to fall for it, not this time."

"It's true, I can't feel guilty. But I can change my mind. I don't want to help the Organization anymore. I want to help you."

"So that's all there is to it? Just like that," she snapped her fingers, a flash of snowflakes emerging with the action, "and we're supposed to believe you've swapped sides? Please. Your lies are getting weaker by the second."

"It's the truth," was all he said, and he took a step towards her.

She suddenly felt less certain. Despite the hurt and fury she felt, some part of her still wanted to believe him.

She backed away from him, leaving a trail of ice in her wake. "You stay away from me."

"Please, Elsa, believe me when I say I mean you no harm. Just give me a chance to prove myself."

Anger, fear, hope, doubt… all of it warred inside of her. She inched further away from him, her entire being now engulfed in a full blown flurry. "I…"

He reached out his hand to her. "Just trust me."

"I… I _can't!_ " she yelled with all she had and something inside her broke. Like a timeworn dam bursting under too much pressure, the ice energy that had been building up within her was unleashed, shooting out of her in every direction. Crashes could be heard all around as the frozen force collided with the ground, the rubble, the building, the fences, and everything else in sight.

One frigid beam struck Axel in the chest, causing him to stagger back. As it sunk in, it softly glowed a pale, chilly blue before fading, leaving some flakes of frost on his hoodie. Nothing seemed to be damaged, neither him nor his clothes. He shook out a slight chill before dusting the ice residue from his torso.

Another one had been propelled straight for Sora, but that symbol on his brace flashed emerald and his shield flared up in time for the frozen energy to merely shatter against it.

As the cacophony of smashing ice died into silence, Elsa sagged, now barely able to stand. For a few seconds, all that could be heard was her breathing heavily.

"El...sa…?"

Her head shot up at the sound of a familiar voice that belonged to neither Sora nor Axel. She spun around, eyes wide.

Anna stood a few feet away. She was still in her prom dress, which was rather rumpled now. She also wore a tuxedo jacket over it that was much too large for her. Spatters of snow clung here and there to her clothing. The bun in her auburn hair, that had been so perfect at the dance, was frazzled now with stray hairs sticking out in every direction. She was slumped forward, her hands clasped at her chest. Between her fingers, a familiar chilly blue light glowed from her bosom and started to dim. Just like when Axel had been struck. Her face was a mixture of pain and... happiness?

"I… f-finally… found you…"

As she spoke, someone came running up from behind her. Elsa paid no attention to the newcomer, she could only watch in stunned silence as Anna feebly reached out for Elsa. Then she collapsed into the snow at their feet.

"No!" Elsa cried, rushing towards her sister. _Not again!_ She landed on her knees in the snow next to her and reached her hands out towards her.

" _DON'T!_ "

Her arms recoiled back as the new voice bellowed. It had come from the other person that had run up behind Anna, and Elsa truly looked at him for the first time. Blond, tall, stout chested… she was sure she remembered him from earlier at the dance. What was he doing here? What did he have to do with any of this?

He squatted down and scooped Anna's limp form into his arms. As he straightened up, he cast a forlorn look at Elsa and asked quietly, "Haven't you done enough already?"

She winced and had no answer for him, could think of no words to defend herself with. He quietly stared at her for a bit longer before turning and running off into the night with her sister. She should have gone after them… she wanted to, but her legs were unresponsive and refused to move. All she could do was sit there and watch them go.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Oh snap, the hits just keep on coming! xP Axel is a Nobody! (I know, such a shocker . lol jk). And hmmm, doesn't this scene with Anna seem familiar? Changed it up a bit tho, cause hey, it's an AU and I do what I want. I'm trying to keep key events in my story, but doesn't mean I'm not gonna twist them around a bit!

Special thanks to **Spiderfan626** **,** **Miss PandaManga,** and **SoraKairiRikuNamine** for posting their reviews! Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! Tens of thousands of thanks for everyone's support, keep being bodaciously breathtaking! Until next week :D


	15. Chapter 15

Hans groaned and fell to his knees as a dark portal unceremoniously dumped him to the floor. A cringe marred his pretty face and his whole body convulsed. Traversing through the Corridors of Darkness was trying to say the least, leaving him feeling battered, drained, and feeble.

It did not help that he was already not in best form before having been pulled through one just now. He had not come out the that fight as unscathed as he had led Elsa, the keybearer, and that pyro nutjob to believe. That first fireball - or rather, fire _wrecking-_ ball - had been close. Close enough to scorch his clothes and leave some painful singes on his skin. And that cursed, clumsy oaf of a bear Heartless had caused him to stumble and slam into a wall, what with the way it trampled carelessly around and caused the building to rumble and shift.

He regained his senses enough to take in his surroundings. The room he was in was dark, with only the meager light of night streaming in through a giant window overlooking a vast city far below. It was enough to allow him to see the opulent accommodations he had been brought to, with a rich, plush rug beneath his feet and expensive furnishings populating the room and decorating the walls.

He knew exactly where he was, even before she spoke.

"You've failed," she said from a luxurious chair, its backing tall, obscuring her in shadows. It was not an accusation and did not carry any hints of disappointment. It was merely a statement of fact.

"No. Your pets failed," he grumbled tiredly, struggling to get to your feet. "They were weak. Pathetic. Our enemies defeated them easily."

"The Heartless were only meant to be a tool for you to use to accomplish your task." A scraping sound from somewhere near the ceiling drew Hans' attention and he looked up. A creature - a bird of some kind - watched him from atop its perch on a bookcase. What little light there was in the room reflected eerily in the creature's golden irises as its gaze bore down on him. "And yet, the Keyblade wielder still lives. You have brought me neither the girl nor her sister. The fault rest on your shoulders, no one else's."

He clenched his fist, his knuckles going white. "Did you drag me through that wretched portal just to ridicule me?" He sighed, "I would have succeeded. I was so close. If only I had more power…"

A brief pause. "That can be arranged." Something in her voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

She rose from her seat and leisurely strode over to him, cane in hand. He warily, unconsciously leaned away from her ever so slightly, though his feet stayed firmly put. She halted, then trailed a thoughtful finger over the noxious green stone that adorned her cane, her blood red fingernails scraping against the stone. "That is, unless you want to give in and retire to your former dismal life of mediocrity and poverty."

His eyebrows lowered and his lips pressed together into a thin line. He shook his head firmly and stood more resolute before her.

"Very well," she purred as she extended her arm out and lightly tapped the bejeweled tip of her cane to his chest, just over his heart. The stone seemed to shine a bit brighter on contact. A glowing haze the same putrid viridescent as the gem arose from his body and lapped at him like a hungry flame. A warm sensation flooded through his muscles, and Hans slowly began to feel stronger. More energetic. More powerful. He felt… _right_.

And then the pain started. It racked his body. Every inch of him felt like it was on fire, but his heart… oh, his heart felt like it was being squeezed, crushed… like it was dying. He collapsed to his knees once more as he cried out in agony. His vision was blurring and dimming, but he could still just barely make out a pleased grin on her face.

Through grit teeth, he managed to rasp out, "What… have you done… to me?" Silence was the one answer he got. "I… I didn't… want…"

And then everything went dark.

* * *

Kristoff's feet pounded against the ground beneath them, kicking up snow in every direction as he ran. His arms shook from supporting the deadweight of Anna's body - admittedly, she was not that heavy, but still, he could carry her for only so long. His legs were tired, his heart was racing and his lungs were burning as he gasped for air. But still he ran.

"Elsa… where...?" Anna asked, her voice small and wavering.

He did not respond, just kept moving. He doubted she would have heard him anyway as she seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness. He had no idea where he was going and did not recognize this part of the city. But he had to find help from someone. _Anyone_.

He made a sharp turn around the corner of a building and slammed into something. The impact knocked him off his feet and to the ground. He held on tight to Anna, making sure he took the brunt of the fall. Shaking his head he looked up at what he had ran into. Or rather, _who_.

The man was of average height, but sturdy. He'd have to be, in order to be able to overturn a guy Kristoff's size in a head-on collision without even budging. In fact, it felt like he had run into a solid rock. The man had a long, bushy beard and hair that travelled down the length of his back, which was wild and filthy and a dark brown color with a hint of green - gross, was that mold? He was bundled in a shabby, dirty, smelly blanket that was an olive color, and wrapped around that appeared to be a string of christmas lights.

A bum. The first person Kristoff had run into was a bum. He had thought he could use help from anyone. He amended that thought: anyone but _this_ guy.

Awkwardly, Kristoff managed to get to his feet while still maintaining his hold on Anna. "Sorry, um…" he looked the stranger up and down,"...Sir. Didn't see you there. But uh, would you possibly know where the nearest hospital is?"

The only response the man gave was a long, slow rumble from deep within his throat.

"...right. Okay then. Pleasant chatting with you, I think I'll be going now."

As he began to back away, the other man's eyes shifted down and seemed to notice the girl for the first time. "What's this?" he asked, his voice gravelly.

Kristoff stopped mid-step, looking from her to him before answering hesitantly, "She's injured. That's why if you could point me towards a hospit-"

"Bring her to me."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Um, I don't think so."

Moving quicker than Kristoff would have guessed, the man was suddenly much closer and had a lock of Anna's hair between his fingers. "Hmmm… not good, not good."

"Hey! What are you-" His indignant outburst was cut short as he looked at the strands of Anna's hair the bum held up. They had turned pure, milky white, a striking contrast to her normal auburn. Looking more closely, he realized there were several shocks of white throughout her hair now. And… was she shivering? How long had she been doing that for? "What's wrong with her?" he asked, his voice concerned and low, almost a whisper.

His eyes squinted as he studied Anna. "...ice."

He blinked. "Ice?"

"Ice!" he boomed, more earnest this time. "Ice in the blood… no, no," he shook his head rapidly, "not blood. Worse, much much worse. Ice in the heart. Numbing it. Hardening it. If not extracted, to solid ice will she freeze. Forever."

As if to drive the point home, Kristoff suddenly realized how very cold Anna felt in his arms. Far too cold. "What do we do to fix her? How do we remove it?"

He lifted his chin and intoned, "Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."

Kristoff stared at the other man blankly before shaking his head. For a second there, he had forgotten that he was talking to a crazy homeless person. He took a step back. "I… see. Okay, well, we'll get right on that. Thank you for your time, Mister… ah, well, Mister Hobo. You have a good night, okay?"

He turned and began to hurriedly walk away, then stopped as a chill skittered down his spine. Everything suddenly seemed much darker. The glow of a nearby streetlamp severely dimmed, as if something were smothering it. The gloom of the night seemed to creep in towards him.

He whipped his head around, but the new "friend" he had made was gone, nowhere to be seen. As if he had simply vanished. Kristoff gulped and pressed his back against a wall, hugging Anna protectively against him.

A figure abruptly appeared in front of him, a silhouette against the night. It slowly approached him, the shadows seeming to cling to it, reluctant to let go. But enough of the unnatural cloak dispersed for some details to slip through. Kristoff eye's widened as recognition struck.

"I see you have something that belongs to us," a resonating, hollow voice said, a finger lazily lifting to point at Anna. "You will give her to us. Then you will deliver a message."

* * *

"Anna!" Elsa shouted out into the empty street. The only reply was the howling of the wind. "Anna, if you can hear me, please answer me!"

She had to remain calm. Any time she felt worry or fear start to rise within her, she had to crush it mercilessly. Causing another blizzard at this time would be the farthest thing from helping. Still, harnessing her emotions was not the easiest thing to do.

After that blond ape of a man had run off with her sister, it had taken nearly a minute for the shock of all that had occurred to wear off. She had tried to run after them, but by then they had been long gone. What had Anna been doing there? How had she found her? What had Elsa's ice blast done to her? Was she okay? Why was that guy with her? And, most importantly at this precise moment, where had he taken her?

When it was clear Anna was not going to be found in the immediate area, Elsa, Sora, and Axel had begun the search for her, or at least for any clues to indicate where she had been taken. They had left Marshmallow behind, Elsa having reassured the creature that she would come back for it. Though it was late and the weather had left the roads deserted, it still probably was not the best idea to have a monstrous snow giant lumbering around. To cover more ground, the three teenagers had split up, Sora one street over to the left, Axel one street over to the right, and Elsa coming up the middle. So far, a few blocks away from the abandoned building, her investigation had turned up nothing. She hoped the others would have better news.

The scuffling noise of shoes against the ground could be heard coming from a side road ahead of her. Rushing forward, she called, "Anna?"

The person who turned the corner was most certainly not her. Sora appeared, skidding to a stop. She looked at him anxiously, and he shook his head.

"No luck on this end either," came Axel's voice from the opposite side of the street. She turned her head and watched as he emerged from another alley. "They can't have gotten far though. Something will turn up."

Elsa frowned at Axel and looked away. Through some unspoken agreement, their altercation regarding this whole Nobody business had been put on hold for the time being. Locating her sister, who was possibly in life threatening danger, was far more important to her at the moment than trying to discern Axel's true motives and whether or not she believed what he said. To be fair to him, even though he had been less than forthcoming with the truth at the start, he had done nothing but help her since then. It was not easy for her, but she was giving him the benefit of the doubt, at least until her sister was found. However, that did not mean she considered the matter resolved, nor did it mean that she felt she had to talk to him.

Her lack of response did not go unnoticed by him. He crossed his arms and said flatly, "What, are you giving me the silent treatment now? I didn't realize we were preschoolers."

She was saved from dignifying that with a response as the sound of snow being crushed underfoot echoed down the street towards them. Looking ahead, Elsa spotted someone about a block away running in their direction. She gasped as she realized it was that blond guy that had run off with Anna. But now, his arms were empty. He was alone.

Hardly aware of her own actions, her feet were suddenly propelling her forward to meet him as she yelled, "Where is she? What have you done with her?"

He tripped and fell to his hands and knees. It was clear he was exhausted as he shakily tried to rise to his feet once more. He was not fast enough as Elsa closed the distance and grabbed him by the front of the shirt. Bits of frost began to lace into the thread where her nails dug into the fabric. "So help me, if you've hurt my sister, I'll-"

"I'd never harm her, I swear!" he panted out frantically before narrowing his eyes at her. "You can't necessarily say the same thing, can you?"

She inhaled sharply and released him, taking a step back. "That was an accident! I didn't know she was there! I wasn't trying to-" She stopped, realizing she did not have to explain herself to him. In any case, her excuses would not help Anna. So instead, trying to remain calm and keep her voice even, she asked, "Did I… is she badly injured?"

He frowned at her, then shook his head slowly. "I don't know. There was this man I ran into… some crazy old bum or something, I'm not sure. He told me there was ice lodged in her heart. That if left there, she'd freeze over solid. It could have all just been the ramblings of a lunatic… I'm just not sure…"

"It'd make sense," Axel interjected. "At least as far as why she was affected and I wasn't, since I got hit in the chest too." He rapped his knuckles against his rib cage. "No heart."

The stranger blinked, clearly bewildered by Axel's statement. Sora chose that moment to speak up, "So why isn't she with you anymore? What happened?"

His face went slack and he looked down. "He took her."

"Who?" she asked.

"Your boyfriend," he said coldly. "The Prom King."

Elsa's mouth went dry. Her chest constricted, panic beginning to rise within her, no longer able to be restrained. First her parents and Olaf. Now Anna? "Why didn't you stop him?!"

"Don't you think I tried? But it's like he's now the Prince of Darkness or something. With a wave of his hands, shadows were knocking me around senseless." He winced and rubbed an obviously sore spot on the back of his head. "Before I even knew what was happening, he had her. I was powerless against him."

Along with the worry, another emotion had begun to take hold of Elsa. Anger. Raw and irrational. It needed a target, and there was a perfect one nearby. She abruptly rounded on Axel and lashed out, "This is your fault!"

"What? How-"

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone?! If we had never met, none of this would have happened!"

He replied calmly, "You don't know that. Besides, if I had left you alone, you might have been taken prisoner by now, or turned into a Heartless."

"But then at least Anna would be safe," she argued, feeling her eyes start to prickle with tears. "My whole family would be safe."

"They could be more than just bargaining chips. Maybe you're not the only target. We don't know what Hans' plan is." He placed his hands on her shoulders and bent forward so his eyes would be level with hers. "Besides, you captured or worse… do you think Anna would want that? Do you think that would make her happy?"

She jerked away from him and snapped, "What do you know about happiness? You don't have a heart or feelings! You're _nothing!_ " Her words bounced off the buildings around them and echoed off into the empty night.

Seconds passed where no one said anything. Axel just stared at Elsa, while the other two boys wisely decided to stay out of it.

Finally managing to rein in her temper somewhat, Elsa spoke again. She was much quieter now as she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her fingers along her arms as if she were cold. "Could you just… go away? Please?"

The silence stretched on for a few seconds more before Axel responded. "Fine. If that is what you want." Darkness began to swirl at his feet, like a black whirlpool. It shot up around him in black tendrils, shrouding his body from view. Then, with the sound of vacuuming air, it all vanished and the space where Axel had stood was now empty.

Elsa watched it all passively. Was that the Corridor of Darkness that Sora had described? Is that what Axel had used to save her? It did not really matter, she supposed. Turning to the stranger, she asked, "What's your name?"

He was gawking at the spot Axel had occupied until recently. "Huh?" he mumbled, then looked at her. "Oh, um… it's Kristoff."

"Okay then, Kristoff. Did Hans say anything? Give you any hints as to what he was going to do next?"

"Actually, yes. He gave me a message, told me to pass it along to you. He said if you want to ensure the safety of those you care about, you'll come meet with him, and you'll bring someone he called the Keyblade Master with you."

"Did he say where?"

He nodded. "He said to meet him where he first stole your heart."

She flinched. _Of all the…_ She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay then. It's time."

"Time? For what?" Sora asked.

Elsa lowered her head and concentrated. A mixture of rage and fear still seethed within her core, but she was the master of it now, not the other way around. It was going to work for her. For the sake of her sister, her whole family, she was going to _make_ it work for her, damn it! As she focused, snow chaotically whirled around her and her body began to glimmer a pristine white. As it faded, it was replaced with ice that expanded outward from her figure. It was forming frozen armor - a breastplate encased her chest and arms, gauntlets protected her hands, leggings and boots wrapped around her lower body. On one arm, a tall, glacial kite shield grew and spread out. In the other hand a hilt developed first, then expanded into a sharp blade, forming a ferocious ice sword.

Her eyelids flew opens, her icy irises flashing. "Time to rescue my family." She smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes. "And I know the method of transportation that will get us there the fastest."

* * *

 **Author's note:** Oh, it's on! It's on like Donkey Kong! That's right, screw the dress, the Ice Queen got some battle armor! Rawr! And how about the rest of that chapter? Pretty intense stuff, yeah? Don't be too mad at Elsa for yelling at Axel, tonight's been quite the emotional roller coaster ride for her, so she was bound to reach her breaking point sooner or later. Don't worry, things will work out soon enough!

Special thanks to ****SoraKairiRikuNamine**** **,** ****Spiderfan626** , **and **Miss PandaManga** for posting their reviews! Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! Hundreds of thousands of thanks for everyone's support, keep being cleverly classy! Hope to see y'all back next week :)


	16. Chapter 16

_Elsa pressed another piece of tape firmly against the wall, then leaned back, steadying her hold on the trestle ladder so she did not fall. Wiping her forehead with her sleeve, she surveyed the walls of the gym with a somewhat sour look. Sure, the decorations should look nice for the dance, but was it really necessary to go to this extent?_

 _Valentine's Day was coming up, and with it, the Valentine's Day Dance. Elsa was on the school's party planning committee for such events. Though she shied away from attending dances and other similar school functions, she did enjoy helping organize and set them up. It made her feel like she was participating, at least in some small way. And all the better if she could take charge of any tasks that she could perform by herself, without anyone else's help. In this case, however, she was beginning to regret taking on this particular duty solo._

 _And what, one might wonder, was the planning committee's brilliant idea that she was currently undertaking? Taping a few thousand little cut-out hearts to the walls of the gym, where the dance was to be held. Elsa had actually considered the concept rather cute in the beginning, especially since no two hearts were the same. To get the variety they were looking for, they had opened it up to the entire student body, asking every boy and girl to design their own, unique heart to decorate the walls for the dance. What Elsa had not anticipated was how popular the idea would be, with many students submitting more than one heart._

 _And she had volunteered for the job of sticking up every single one of these damn little hearts. She had already lost count of the number of paper cuts she had gotten so far. And there were still boxes upon boxes to go._

 _Sighing, she rested her head against the top step of the ladder and closed her eyes. She allowed herself a moment to relax. She might have allowed herself more, but then a sound caught her ear._

 _Odd. She was supposed to be alone in here._

 _Lifting her head and looking around, she spotted the culprit: Hans. He was on the other side of the gym, facing one of the heart-plastered walls. He turned as she spotted him, a huge grin on his face._

 _Rolling her eyes and suppressing a smile, she climbed down the ladder. He better not have come to ask her out again. Her answer would still be 'no', as it always had been. She was beginning to feel bad about constantly rejecting him, though if he was disappointed, he never let it show. If she was being honest with herself, she was beginning to have feelings for him. But with her being the way she was, dating him, or anyone for that matter, would be impossible._

 _As her feet touched the floor, she turned just as he came up to her. "What are you doing here?" she asked._

" _Thought you might be lonely and want some company," he answered, rocking gently on his feet._

 _She flashed him a sly smirk. "We're talking your company? I think I'll pass." She picked up a stack of boxes holding the decorations and walked them over a few feet to the next empty space of wall._

 _As she turned to retrieve the ladder, she saw that Hans was already in the process of carrying it over for her. "Ouch. That hurt," he teased. "Don't worry though, I can see past your insults and know that you're secretly thrilled to be graced with my presence."_

 _Shaking her head as he set down the ladder next to her, she deadpanned, "Oh yeah. Simply ecstatic."_

" _I knew it," he winked at her._

 _She tilted her head to one side as she realized he was hiding one of his hands behind his back. "What do you have?"_

 _He shrugged, then brought his hand forward to show her and she blinked. Resting in his palm was one of the hearts she had taped up earlier. She recognized the design. It was the one she had made herself. That he had he been able to locate it among the multitudes that she had already put up was insane._

" _Looks like I finally managed to steal your heart," he said._

 _She blushed fiercely and looked down to hide it._

" _...you're such a dork."_

* * *

"A yeti. I can't believe I'm riding on a freaking yeti."

"Actually, I believe the term you're looking for would be abominable snowman," Elsa corrected Kristoff from her perch atop Marshmallow's shoulder.

The giant snow creature was jogging through the streets of the city, making good time, but still managing to avoid flattening cars underfoot or causing other collateral damage. In either hand, it carried Sora and Kristoff, careful not to crush them in its grip.

Once they had returned to the condemned structure, it had taken a few minutes to get Kristoff to stop freaking out upon seeing Marshmallow for the first time and convince him that it was friendly and had no intention of squishing and/or devouring them. Once they were all aboard the ice monster, it had then taken several more minutes for a street to be located that Elsa was familiar with. From there however, it had been easy to point Marshmallow in the correct direction through a combination of now knowing where they were and her high vantage point.

It was not long before their destination was spotted. The high school buildings stood grandly before them, the snow coating its rooftops, carpeting the grounds, and frosting the windows, giving it a rather stately look. Elsa directed Marshmallow towards a particular building on the far west end of the campus. Beneath its snow-laden gable, written out in elegant lettering was _Arendelle High School_. Its parking lot, which had been packed with vehicles earlier that night, was now empty.

"The gym?" Kristoff scoffed, quirking an eyebrow as the snow giant set him on the ground. "Your boyfriend was trying to get us back to Prom Night?"

As Sora's feet hit the ground, he summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light. "So what's the story here?"

"It's…" Elsa began, but felt her throat constrict as she recalled the memory, once pleasant but now turned bitter. Marshmallow offered its hand to her, and she stepped onto it. As she was lowered down to join them, she finally said, "It's nothing. Not important. Just stupid. But this is the spot, I'm certain of it."

Kristoff crossed his arms. "Why didn't he just say the gym? I could of found that."

"That's probably why he didn't outright say it," Sora suggested. "He didn't want you to just come running to the rescue by yourself. He wanted to make sure his message got back to Elsa and me, to ensure we'd show up."

The other boy just harrumphed and scratched his nose in response. However, when Sora and Elsa began to walk towards the building, he spoke up again. "Hey, hang on a second. How am I supposed to fight?"

Elsa blinked and exchanged a glance with Sora. "Uh…"

"I mean, you're like Xena, Warrior Ice Princess over there, and you," he pointed at Sora, "have that boffer sword key thing, which I have to tell you is kind of dopey looking, but it's better than nothing. But me… I don't even have a weapon."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully for a second, then her face brightened. She looked up and said, "Marshmallow, can you help out our friend here?"

She was not sure just how sentient her ice colossus was, but she strongly suspected it was still a part of her and thus they shared some sort of mental link. That point was proven as it seemed to read her mind and a glacial spike abruptly jutted out of its shoulder. It reached over, grasped it tightly between its fingers and snapped it off with a loud crack. It then crouched down slightly to hand it to Kristoff.

The blond used both hands to take the offering by the tapered end and he now held up a massive ice club. He shivered and removed one of his hands from it to rub it against the side of his pants. "Oof, that's cold! But it'll have to do."

The trio lined up side by side and cautiously began to approach the gym. As they walked, an errant question flitted across Elsa's mind. _What if Axel were here?_ She was sure he'd have some flippant wisecrack to share with them all. With a sigh, she realized she was already regretting her harsh words to him. She knew she had been unreasonable - she had known it even while she had yelled at him, but at the time she had not cared. Now she wished she could take it back.

At least she had not hurt his feelings, since he had none to hurt in the first place, for whatever small comfort that was. But whatever his reasons had been for hanging around, regardless of whether she could trust him or not, she knew now that it would have been a relief to have another person here fighting on her side. The rest could have been sorted out later.

She was disturbed from her thoughts as something in the air changed, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to prickle. The night around them seemed to darken with an abnormal miasma. Shadows stretched nightmarishly far, further than they should have in the available light, practically oozing down the face of the gym. Elsa's gaze followed them up to the roof, where a lone figure stood. Hans.

"Enter," his voice echoed down to their ears. "But no pets allowed."

With a wave of his arm, a black gale shot out. The teenagers raised their weapons defensively, but they were not the intended target of his attack. It rushed over their heads and tore brutally into Marshmallow. Elsa turned, eyes wide, as the ice being roared out angrily. The obsidian tempest whirled around it, ripping and grinding away at it. Slowly, bits of Marshmallow chipped away, like grains of white sand being carried off in a windstorm. It slashed its arms wildly about, but there was nothing solid for it to defend against. The wind wailed as it picked up, shredding the poor creature more swiftly.

"No!" Elsa cried out, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Soon, the wind died down and there was nothing left but a pile of inert snow.

She whipped around to shoot a scathing look back towards the gym, but the space where Hans had stood was now empty. Shoulders slumping, she turned back around to kneel down and gingerly run a hand through the mound that had once been Marshmallow.

"I'm sorry," she heard Kristoff mutter. "He seemed like a... nice abominable snowman, I guess?"

"Come on, let's go take that creep down," Sora said, his voice hard like steel.

She picked up a clump of the snow and let specks of it trickle out between her fingers before clamping her hand shut around it. She straightened up once more, a scowl on her face. "Let's."

They charged towards the gym. The double doors stood wide open, as if challenging them to go in. It was a challenge they readily accepted.

The gymnasium was dark inside. Most of the lights overhead had gone out, but still a few held on, providing enough dim illumination to make out their surroundings. The space, which had been overflowing with prom-goers earlier, was now eerily abandoned. They had probably all left after the spectacle Elsa had created. Had that really only happened hours ago? It felt like eons. The deadly looking sculpture of frozen spikes she had unwittingly created when Hans had tried to kiss her still stood proudly on the stage. It did not seem to show any signs of melting. Trails of ice and frost spread out from its base, cracking the stage and travelling up the walls, fusing with the Prom decorations.

It took a bit for her eyes to adjust to the poor lighting, but after a few seconds, she spotted four masses grouped together towards the middle of the room that had blended in with the darkness earlier. Squinting, she realized they were people. She finally recognized them through the gloom, a gasp escaping her.

Her parents huddled together, their arms and legs bound, confusion and fear in their eyes. To the right of them, Olaf sat likewise restrained, as well as gagged, a spark of fury in his eyes. And laying at their feet was Anna. She was not tied up, but that may have have been due to the fact that she was unconscious. Her hair had gone almost completely white. Why? Had that been Elsa's doing?

She started to run towards them, her ice boots clattering loudly against the hard floor. Without warning, a black blur fell from the ceiling and landed on top of her family, forcing her to slide to a stop a few yards away. It was a cage of some kind, made of an oily goo that seemed to be in a constant state of moving as it slid up and down its bars. Barbs hazardously stuck out of it at random spots, both on the outside and inside. Those within were aimed directly at the captives.

Heartless started materializing out of puffs of dark, ominous mist. They did not attack, just surrounded the three of them and slowly closed in, leaving little room to breath. A few feet away, a giant black vortex formed in midair that seemed to eat away at any color around it. From it, Hans emerged. It was him, but at the same time, it somehow wasn't. He still has his Prom tux on, his same hair, his same face. But his eyes were dead and empty. He stared at the three of them, but did not seem to see them, not really. The shadows seemed to reach for him longingly.

"Splendid. You accepted our invitation," he said, his voice lifeless.

"Hans, enough!" she snapped. "The things you are being offered, they aren't worth this. You have to stop!"

He was slow to respond, as if he needed a minute to process what she said. "It is too late to stop. Too late to turn back."

Desperate to get through to him, to get answers, she asked, "Whoever you're working for, why do they even want me?"

Another pause. His eyes had not blinked since he had appeared, not once. "She sees potential in you. She wants you as her disciple, to aid her in reaching her goals."

"Join with the person who did this to you? With the person who took my family hostage and let the Heartless run loose to terrorize my city? Never!" She swung her arctic sword at the nearest Heartless. The icy, razor edge of the blade cleaved the shadow creature in half and its remains evaporated into smoky wisps.

That was all the invitation the rest of the Heartless needed to strike, the first wave springing towards them. Sora was quick to react, an emblem on his bracer blazed blue as he hefted his Keyblade high over head. A blinding, chromatic flash burst outward from him, and with it, all the Heartless stopped in mid-pounce, frozen in time. Not wasting a second, he started bashing them with his Keyblade, getting several swings on each one before moving on to the next. The creatures, still like statues, seemed unaffected. That is until several seconds later when the spell wore off, then each beast that had been assaulted was knocked around brutally as if it were currently being attacked, even though Sora had long since moved on to other opponents. They then each erupted into black clouds, their existence no more.

Kristoff did not hesitate to start clobbering the Heartless with his ice club. The things went flying left and right, hitting walls hard, dazing them. He wasn't able to destroy many, but every now and then, he'd be able to bring his bludgeon down on top of a Heartless with bone-crushing force, squashing it like a bug.

As for Elsa, admittedly this was the first time she had ever held a sword, so she had no idea how to properly wield it. However, it did not require a lot of fancy training just to swing a sharp object with the intent to harm, especially when presented with such an overabundance of targets. She settled for blindly hacking and slashing through the sea of shadow creatures, which felt extremely satisfying after the night she had been having. Any Heartless that tried to attack her when she was not looking from the other direction were repelled by her shield.

She was not quite sure when it happened, but suddenly there were no more Heartless directly in front of her. All that lay before her was a cleared path to Hans. He did nothing, only stared at her, his empty eyes boring into her. She gripped the hilt of her weapon tightly and knew she should attack. After all the lies and betrayal, after everything he had done and was doing right now, he definitely deserved it. But still, she held back. Her feet would not move.

After a few seconds, his head lolled to one side and his fingers twitched. Strands of darkness began to flow around his hand, then spread outward. It solidified into an object within his grip. A sabre. He pointed the blade at her and waited.

She narrowed her eyes at his obvious challenge. Gritting her teeth, Elsa charged forward, weapon raised. Closing the distance, she sliced it through the air to strike at him. Hans swiftly brought his sword up to parry hers with ease. Undaunted, she flung her arm back and swung her blade at him again and again. Everytime, he deflected her unskilled blows effortlessly. Though he seemed to be having no problems defending against her, his movements were anything but graceful. They were erratic and jerky, as if he were unaccustomed to controlling his own body.

With a snarl, she arced her frozen blade one last time down towards his head. As with her other attacks before, he stopped it with his own blade and their weapons locked. She glared at him as she pushed forward, trying to overpower him, but he did not budge.

"Still unwilling to hurt this vessel. So predictable," he said dully.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Excuse me? What do you think I've been trying to do here, play tag?"

"You hesitated. You did not strike until you knew for certain that we had a way to defend ourselves."

Elsa went rigid. "That's… That's not-"

A loud bellow interrupted her, and they turned their heads in unison to see Kristoff lunging at Hans, ice club poised to bash in his skull. Without moving or uttering a sound, a pitch black wave of force erupted from Hans, sending both Kristoff and Elsa flying away from him.

Kristoff landed a few yards away, bouncing and skidding along the ground. He was relatively unscathed, but he had lost his grip on his bludgeon. As it slid across the floor, a winged Heartless seized the opportunity to snatch it up in its talons and fly off with it, despite Kristoff's curses and protests.

Having been flung in the opposite direction, Elsa's back struck a wall. The sharp sound of her armor cracking could be heard and the wind was knocked out of her lungs. She winced and looked up just as a Heartless leapt at her. As she threw up her arms to block it, the creature suddenly exploded as the Keyblade stabbed through its core, followed by Sora. He stood protectively over her, Keyblade held in both hands, ready to deliver justice.

"You okay?" he asked her, scowling at the gathering Heartless, his eyes daring them to be stupid enough to advance.

"Fine," she grunted, shaking herself. She surveyed the horde surrounding them as well, then looked passed them at Hans. He was standing so unnaturally still… like a corpse held up by strings. "...what's wrong with him?"

"It's the Darkness," Sora muttered. "It has swallowed his heart. Consumed him."

She felt a tightening in her chest. "So… he's completely gone? Nothing more than a puppet now?"

"No, not completely… at least, I don't think so. I suspect he's still in there somewhere. He's just buried deep within. Lost."

"Lost, huh?" She pondered that. Did that mean there was a way to get him back? Sure, when he had been in full control of himself and his actions before, he had known exactly all the horrible things he was doing. But being nothing more than a vessel for the Darkness? Somehow, she suspected that had not exactly been his long term goal. If only there were a way to reach him, maybe he would listen and help…

But first, they had a legion of Heartless to deal with.

Elsa rose to her feet to stand next to Sora, dropping the sword and shield. They had been fun, but they were not really effective in her grasp. She was not sure what she had been thinking, but they had seemed like a good idea at the time. Removing the gauntlets, she let them clatter to the ground as well. The shadow monsters around them edged slowly closer, eager to steal their hearts, but none of them quite brave enough to be the first one to attack. Elsa looked down at her now bare hands. It was time to get back to what she was discovering she was good at.

She stretched her arms out lengthwise, one hand down near her waist and the other up over her head. Two long, curved streaks of ice formed, the first on the floor beneath the front line of Heartless, the other mirroring it in the air several feet above. Fingers curling, she abruptly brought her hands together with a loud clap. With that action, the two arched bands of ice rapidly expanded towards each other in jagged edges and slammed together, like sharp fanged teeth clamping down in a mouth. Any Heartless caught between them were obliterated.

As the ice shattered on impact, Sora leapt through the downpour of frozen shards, jabbing his Keyblade forward. Its tip sparked and a barrage of lightning struck the next row of Heartless. The creatures were quick to react, and several were already flattening themselves against the ground to slip around behind him. As they sprung at his back, they were met with his emerald shield of light as he whipped around to face them. It was clear he was already preparing another spell as flames began to whirlwind around his Keyblade.

Elsa spotted Kristoff trying to rejoin them. Being without a weapon seemed to have both its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, the Heartless appeared to see him as less of a threat now and many were ignoring him. On the other, he was having a difficult time defending himself against the ones that _were_ paying attention to him. Elsa swept her hand to the side and a blast of wind interlaced with snowflakes hurled the Heartless away from Kristoff, clearing a path for him. He visibly brightened and sprinted towards her, clumsily dodging and ducking any attacks aimed at him.

Nodding at him as he slid up next to her, she turned and raised her hand, ready to give the next little beast she saw an ice bolt in the face. She was brought up short by a scream piercing through the air.

It had come from her mother, and her eyes immediately went to the cage. The thorns she had seen protruding from it earlier had grown in length, the ones pointed inward stretching hungrily towards her family. The skewers had stopped just short of puncturing skin, with one point dangerously close to stabbing Olaf's left eye.

Hans stood nearby, a hand resting against one of the cage's bars. "Good. That got your attention."

Everything had come to a complete stand still. Kristoff glowered at Hans, his hands balled angrily into fists. Sora stood legs bent, his Keyblade held up defensively, but the remaining Heartless around them just watched, albeit restlessly. Elsa took a step forward and demanded, "Let them go, Hans!"

He stared at her with those vacant eyes. "And what would the point of that be?"

She chewed her lower lip, then looked at the cage again. Particularly at Anna. There was barely any color left in her sister's hair, and she was shivering violently. Her skin was paler than normal, and even appeared to be tinged slightly blue. "...at least release Anna. Please. Can't you see that something's wrong with her?"

"Wrong. Yes," he agreed in that resonating monotone, shifting his gaze down towards her. "She didn't turn out to be one of the seven…"

Elsa blinked. "What do you mean, one of the-?"

"We propose an exchange," he spoke over her as he walked forward, putting the cage behind him. "We want you and the life of the Keyblade wielder. In return, everyone else will be released unharmed."

She shared a look with Sora. He did not give any indications of protest. The prisoners may not have been his family, but he cared about their safety all the same. Elsa pressed her lips together into a thin line, then took another step towards Hans. When she spoke, her voice was strong and brooked no argument.

"Counteroffer: Everyone else, including Sora, walks free. You just get me."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Dun dun dun! Oh dear, what's gonna happen next? Elsa, how could you make such an offer?! Will Hans accept it? One thing's for sure, this battle is far from over... mwahahaha!

Also, some clarification on what's happened to Hans! He isn't quite a Heartless, but it's pretty close. Think more like Riku back to KH1, NOT when Ansem had possessed him, but before that when Maleficent made Riku glow green and gave him more power over the Heartless. That's what happened to Hans here, but his heart wasn't strong enough to handle the darkness like Riku. So even tho he is more powerful now, the darkness is controlling him like a puppet, kind of like Clayton in Tarzan's world in KH1. So yeah, think somewhere between Clayton and Riku and you'll get the idea, if that makes sense xD

Special thanks to ****SoraKairiRikuNamine**** **,** ****Spiderfan626** , **and **Miss PandaManga** for posting their reviews! Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! Millions of thanks for everyone's support, keep being delightfully dashing! Until next time, have an amazing week :)


	17. Chapter 17

...so cold…

It was so damn cold! What, had someone dropped her off at the North Pole while she was asleep?

Anna realized she felt a hard surface beneath her, brushing against her cheek. This wasn't her bed. Where was she? Her eyelids felt cased in cement as she struggled to open them. She managed to crack them apart just enough to see that she was laying on a smooth floor. Some sort of bars that swirled with a murky blackness were about a foot away from her face. _What the…?_

She gasped as a strong chill ran rampant through her body and she curled up into a tight ball, trying to capture as much warmth as she could. Seriously, was the AC turned down to negative bajillion? Her teeth chattered against each other.

She could hear sounds… muffled voices. Anna was still groggy and couldn't quite make out who was talking, or what was being said. There were other noises now. Closer… thumping against the floor. Someone walking near her perhaps?

Then a scent wafted to her nose. It took her a second before she realized what she smelled was smoke. Something was burning.

She weakly lifted her head to see if she could spot a fire, though her vision was hazy. Something red blurred down directly in front of her vision, but it was not flames. As it stopped with a thud against the ground and her eyes slowly brought it into focus, she realized someone now stood before her, and what she was staring at was the shoe on their foot.

A red Converse, to be exact.

* * *

"What?!" Sora yelped. "No, you ca-"

"Very well. The keybearer can also leave here intact." A cruel little smirk curled Hans' lips, though it did not reach his dead eyes. "He's foolish. His actions will be his own undoing soon enough." Sabre still in one hand, he offered his other hand to her. "Do we have a deal?"

Elsa lifted her hand as well, but she faltered, clasping it shut and pressing it to her chest. She took a steadying breath, thinking of her family as she did so. Then she reached out to take his hand.

"Yoohoo, Mr. Bad Guy!"

All heads turned sharply at the sound of the new voice that had come from the direction of the cage. The enclosure now sat empty. There was a giant gaping hole in its side, the edges of the bars smoldering with glowing flecks of orange. Her parents and Olaf had apparently been freed of their restraints, for they had just escaped through that opening. It seemed her father's leg was sprained or broken as he was being supported by her mother and Olaf on either side of him. They were all casting worried glances Elsa's way, but they had to get her injured father to safety, so were heading towards one of the gym's exits. Something - no, some _one_ was now perched on top the cage. Elsa's heart leapt into her throat when she realized who it was.

There stood Axel, feet planted on the bars between the protruding spikes, a smug grin on his face. In his arms he carried Anna.

"Oops. Looks like you no longer have any hostages," Axel said with a shrug. "Whatever will you bargain with now?"

Hans said nothing as he turned and settled his lifeless gaze on Axel.

Axel frowned. "Not as chatty as you were, huh? Geeze, what'd they do to you, man? You and I may not have gotten along before, but at least you had spunk."

Turning his head to Kristroff, Axel called, "Yo, Blondie. Catch." He then heaved Anna into the air. The girl flew surprisingly far before Kristoff caught her with a startled grunt, straining to not to topple over with the both of them. When he had managed to steady himself, Axel asked him, "What are you waiting for? Run!"

Kristoff didn't need to be told twice. With the Heartless's numbers severely diminished, finding an opening to charge through was not difficult. He stumbled as a few shadowy claws reached out for him, but was able to stay on his feet as he headed towards the door that the rest of Elsa's family had escaped through.

"Let them go," Hans commanded, halting several Heartless in their tracks before they could give chase. "They're no longer needed."

"Too afraid to take us on by yourself? Need your cronies to back you up? That's probably smart," Axel snorted. "Too bad it won't do you any good. You don't stand a chance."

A dark portal consumed the redhead and he vanished from his spot atop the prison. A split second later, a similar vortex clawed into existence in between Sora and Elsa. The Nobody sauntered out of it, a cocky smile on his face.

"Axel!" Elsa exclaimed, both shock and a hint of joy coloring her voice.

He glanced at her over his shoulder and winked. "Miss me?" He looked ahead once more as he added, "By the way, check this out."

Elbows bent, he raised his arms above his head before flourishing them out at his sides, palms out, fingers pointed up. Balls of fire appeared in each hand and began to spin. Ribbons of thorny darkness swirled from his shoulders down to his wrist, intertwining with the flames as they spun faster and grew, starting to resemble discs. They glowed a white hot that was blinding before the flames exploded and dispersed. In their place, Axel now held two red and silver weapons, shaped like wheels with lethal looking spikes protruding around the arched edges.

He dropped his arms to his side and started swinging the chakrams carelessly. "Couldn't show these off before, would have blown my cover. But now that my little secret is out, I can be more useful.

"So, whaddya say, Hans ol' pal?" he asked, green eyes flashing. "Care to dance?"

Raising his knee up to his chest, Axel stomped his foot down on the ground. Sparks flew out from beneath the sole of his shoe, followed by smoke. They were small, wispy tendrils at first, but they quickly billowed out into a grey cloud of ash and cinders. It swiftly floated up high in front of the trio, veiling them from view, before fanning out to the right and left.

Hans did not move as the smokescreen encircled the area where he stood, nor did he seem concerned. He just stared unblinking into the haze, sabre held loosely within his grasp, and waited. Faint explosions could be heard from beyond the wall of smoke - the telltale sound of Heartless being vanquished. It went on for a minute more, then everything was silent. And Hans continued to simply wait.

A crackling sound broke through the quiet on his right, and his dull eyes shifted towards the source. Along the ground, a narrow ice path emerged from beneath the dark clouds. It expanded out towards the middle of smoke-free area towards Hans, like someone was rolling out an icy carpet for him. It stopped just before reaching his toes.

He stared at it impassively for a few seconds. Then, as if to prove it was no threat to him, he stepped onto it. Shadow streaks lashed out from beneath his shoes as they touched the glassy, reflective surface, securing him in place. Without slipping, he smoothly moved a couple more paces as if walking on normal ground, then stopped. One corner of his mouth twitched upward as if to say, _Is that all?_

Two crimson blurs abruptly streaked through the air, one after the other, the smoke rippling as they passed through it and flew straight towards Hans' back. In the blink of an eye, Hans had turned and raised his sword to deflect the first chakram. The spiky wheel, ablaze with flames, clashed against the blade and was diverted from its course as it sailed over his head, missing barely by an inch.

At the same exact second, Sora burst through a wall of cinders opposite of the chakrams. He was sliding along the ice trail at high velocity, crouched low to the ground, Keyblade held out before him, parallel to the ground. Hans' head shifted ever so slightly. He knew he was facing not only the second chakram coming from one direction, but Sora's attack from the other.

In the split second he had to react, his left leg rigidly sliced upward to the side as his torso swung downward opposite of it. He launched off his other foot as his free hand touched the ground and he cartwheeled out of the way just as Sora swung his Keyblade through where his feet had just been. The second chakram missed Hans by a hair and Sora dived into a roll under it to avoid being hit by it himself.

From another direction, the smoke churned again right before another figure surged through. Throwing his hand up into the path of the first chakram that had veered high, Axel's arm whipped back with the weapon's momentum as he caught it. As his other hand shot up to seize its twin, he smirked at the enemy. "I'm impressed, Twinkletoes."

"Let's see if you can keep it up," Sora growled as he hurtled forward. His first vicious swing of the Keyblade was parried by Hans. Without hesitation, Sora spun around, his weapon whirlwinding around him as he bent his knees into a kneel, swiping the blade as it came back around at Han's ankles. His opponent leapt over the attack, then dodged to the side as the Keyblade Master sliced his weapon upward.

The way Sora fought was rather elegant, especially considering that he had only been wielding the Keyblade for about a week now. Every strike was graceful and agile. Watching him, one would have thought he had trained with it for much longer. Perhaps the Keyblade itself imbued its master with the proficiency needed to use it effectively. Whatever it was, it unfortunately did not seem to be enough. For every move Sora made, Hans seemed to already have a countermove prepared. He could not break through his defense, and where Sora was beginning to tire out, Hans seemed to have boundless stamina.

Sora suddenly shifted to the right, out of the way of a whirling chakram that came from behind him and flew straight towards Hans. The intended target arched his spine backwards and the weapon went straight over him. It then stopped midair, spinning in place for a second before reversing its trajectory back the way it had come from. Hans was still out of its path, so it flew harmlessly over him a second time and returned to Axel's hand as the redhead charged forward to take the place of Sora.

His chakrams were blurs of serpentine movement and flames as he unleashed a relentless chain of attacks. They were quick and unpredictable. Axel's fighting style was not as pretty as Sora's. It was not meant to be, it was just meant to get the job done. And it did look like Hans was struggling more now to deflect the onslaught, though he was still managing it, their weapons colliding noisily over and over again.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," Axel said with a smirk after a minute. "But something seems to have slipped your notice." Hans did not respond or react in anyway to the statement, just continued to block Axel's swings. Undeterred, Axel went on, "Now you're asking yourself, 'What could it be? I see all, nothing escapes my notice,' your arrogant little mind thinks. But something has. Do you want me to tell you? Alright, I'll clue you in." He stopped his assault and hopped backwards. Raising an empty hand, he waggled his fingers.

"I'm only fighting with one chakram."

That got a reaction out of Hans. His head snapped up. When Axel's second weapon had gone missing, or how he had managed to do it, was anyone's guess. The maneuver must have been some sort of sleight of hand that had gotten lost in the torrent of his attacks. But the how did not matter now, it was the where. Hans' only warning was a high pitched hum from behind that wasn't there a millisecond ago. Pivoting on one foot, he started to dodge to the right. He had turned just barely enough for the burning, spiky wheel to only graze his shoulder blades as it flew by, instead of completely burying itself in his spine.

Metal and fire tore at his back. However, it did not wreak the havoc it should have upon his flesh. A wave of shadows burst into existence to meet the threat, protecting Hans as the chakram ripped and chipped away at the obsidian barrier instead. Once the weapon had passed, the protective shadows faded from sight once more.

Hans whipped around to face Axel again, only to find it was no longer Axel. Sora bashed his gleaming viridian shield hard against Hans, causing him to stumble backwards. Taking the advantage while he had it, Sora lowered his shield, took the Keyblade in both hands and with all his might, slashed it diagonally across Hans' chest while he was still recovering and unable to defend.

Once again, shadows formed to intercept the oncoming danger. However, this time, they were torn asunder under the touch of the Keyblade. White light erupted from where the key had struck, the blackness shriveling within it. Hans cried out in pain.

He staggered back, lifting his sabre up to block any further attacks. The light across his torso faded, a scorch mark now running along his shirt and jacket. There were still a void within his eyes, but now the barest hint of a spark danced in that void. Possibly something akin to annoyance.

"Two against one," Hans muttered in that resonating voice as he eyed Axel and Sora. With a soft huff that might have been a laugh, he said, "You think you have an advantage."

He threw his free hand out to his side and immediately the surrounding shadows began to crawl into his palm. The inkiness grew, shivering and frothing as more gathered, before stretching upward in an easy arch. It solidified, taking the form of a second sabre identical to the one in his other hand.

"Let's see about disillusioning you of that whimsical notion," he sneered. Raising both his arms, he crossed them in front of his face before abruptly slashing his blades outward diagonally. They seemed to cut wounds into the very air itself, leaving two trails of black force in their wake, forming a giant X that flew at Sora and Axel. The malevolent energy lacerated the ground beneath it, shredding the gym floor to rubble. The Keybearer and the Nobody leapt in opposite directions to get out of its destructive path, and it impacted against the wall behind them with a loud crash. The wall was left with several cracks and a very large dent, looking about ready to collapse in on itself.

Sora had tumbled across the floor and came to a stop on his back with a wince. Opening his eyes, he watched as Hans sprung into the air towards him, the point of one of his sabres aimed down. Scrambling, Sora managed to roll out of the way just before the sword plunged down on where his heart had been just a second before. Instead, it ruptured the floor, fissures spiralling outward from it.

Hans' feet had hardly touched the ground before he was already slicing his other blade in Axel's direction. Once again, the weapon seemed to split the empty space itself as a crescent of darkness trailed behind it and hurtled towards the redhead. Axel threw his chakrams in front of him to block the attack. The dark energy hit his weapons and it exploded around him, knocking him into the wall behind him. Squeezing one eye shut, Axel rubbed the back of his head before unsteadily returning to his feet, chakrams in hand.

From across the gym, Elsa watched the battle take place. She was not the adept melee fighter that the others were, a fact she had sufficiently demonstrated earlier. It was better she stay out of the middle of combat, where she probably would have been more of a liability. Instead, she oversaw things from a distance, waiting for a time where her ice powers might prove useful.

It was difficult finding a good opening however. A wintry gust of wind might knock Hans off his feet, but was too broad and might hit the others as well. Raising frozen walls might help drive him into a corner, but they could just as easily be used as barriers for him to hide behind as well. Coating the floor with ice would not work, as Hans had proved when he walked across it without a problem. At least her initial ice path had served its purpose, giving Sora a burst of momentum for his opening strike. But adding more now would only cause her allies to slip over their own feet.

Her crystal blue eyes narrowed as she studied her former boyfriend, trying to spot a weakness. If he had any, he was certainly doing a good job hiding it as he currently dominated the fight. He was mostly on the offensive now, rarely giving them a chance to counterattack. The rare times he did have to defend, it was done with ease. His movements were quick and he often blocked an oncoming strike without even looking. She could only assume the Darkness that possessed him guided his weapons now, for she knew he had certainly been no swordsman before. And clearly the Darkness was shielding him as well, if what had happened when Axel's chakram had landed a hit was any indication. But the Darkness was no match for Sora's Keyblade with the way it had shredded through it like it was tissue. And that flash that had occurred after the attack - perhaps that was the Keyblade chasing the shadows out of Hans' heart?

Whatever the case was, she knew that Sora had to strike him again with that key. It was the only way to end this. But how? Hans' movements were now too quick, his defense seemingly impenetrable. If only his arms would stop moving, even for just a few seconds. She supposed the spell Sora had cast earlier where he had suspended the Heartless in time would not work, otherwise he would have used it already. Perhaps that magic only worked on weaker creatures like the Heartless. Regardless, if only there was another way to freeze his arms-

Her eyes widened. _Could it be that simple?_ A grin played across her face. _Yes… yes, it just might work._

Looking at Hans again, she raised her hands and took steady aim, waiting for a clear shot. "...there!" she whispered, shooting a chilly, azure beam from her fingertips. It pierced through the air at high speed and, with a cascade of snow, collided into Hans' elbow as he was midswing. He turned his head and watched as ice began to immediately materialize and harden around his arm. It spread quickly, encasing the limb in a cold, thick, unyielding shell.

Distracted by this occurrence, he did not spot the second ray of frost until it had already struck his other arm, which also promptly began to cocoon it in ice. The swords fell from his hands.

Was it strong enough to actually hold him? That did not really matter. What mattered was it had managed to halt Hans in his tracks for a second. That mere second was all Sora needed to charge in, Keyblade swinging.

The first hit went across Hans' chest, bisecting the mark Sora had left earlier. Once again, shadows emerged to try to protect their host, but they were no match for the Keyblade. Bright, pure light poured out in the wake of the Keyblade as it slashed along Hans' torso. He kept the swings rapidly coming, the Keyblade dancing in his hands as if it had a mind of its own. With every blow, more light flashed. With it, black wispy tendrils emerged as well, fleeing from his body. Hans recoiled and cried out with every strike.

Sora delivered one final, spinning strike that flung Hans backwards. He tried to land on his feet, but instead collapsed to the ground, his frozen bindings shattering. He was still conscious, but he did not move right away and the silence that ensued was almost deafening. Then he slowly, shakily began to prop himself up on his hands and knees.

That's as far as he got before the ground shook and a rumbling noise filled the gym. Ice spikes erupted from the floor in a large circle around Hans. They grew upward and curved inward, their bases steadily getting thicker as they rose. Their tips met in the center of the circle several yards overhead before coming to a stop, forming an ice cage around Hans.

Her work complete, Elsa lowered her arms and stared at the crumpled form she now held captive. Clearly, he had been weakened, but was it Hans again? The _real_ Hans? Had Sora managed to completely purge the Darkness from him? Had it been enough? She tentatively began to approach the prison she had made. Upon hearing her footfalls, he looked up at her.

His eyes were no longer empty.

* * *

"Is it alright if I set you down here for a minute?"

Anna nodded in response to Kristoff's question and he gently placed her on a bench that was slightly less snow-ridden than the others. They, along with her parent's and Olaf, were still near the school gym, though they had put some distance between it and them. With Anna's father having an injured leg, travelling far was difficult, and travelling quickly was all but impossible. They had stopped to rest at a point just between a basketball court and a baseball field.

Anna's shaking had become much more pronounced, if that was even possible. She was practically vibrating from the chill that had a firm hold on her body. Kristoff watched as she pulled his jacket more tightly around herself, but it did not seem to be helping. If he had had another jacket, he would have given it to her. He wished he had a thousand jackets to give her, in fact. Her hair was all white now, except for one thin strand of auburn that was distinctly paler than it normally should have been. He worried what might happen once it was all completely colorless.

"W-what was g-going on in there?" she asked him through her rattling teeth. "Who were those p-people with Elsa? And was that Hans they were fighting? Why? W-what was the m-matter with him?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's, uh… a long story… and not one that I really know the full details of either, to be honest."

"And just where do you think you're going with that?!" Olaf's sudden outraged cry caused both teenagers to turn their heads in his direction. He was glaring at Anna's mother and holding one of her wrists firmly in his grasp, having halted her in her tracks. She held a baseball bat in her hand.

"Going to save my daughter, what's it look like?" she snapped.

Scoffing, he confiscated the bat from her and tossed it on the ground. It rolled for a bit before coming to a stop next to Kristoff's and Anna's feet. "Don't be ridiculous. Where did you even find that thing?"

"Over there, under one of the benches. And what do you expect me to do, just run and hide? We have to do something!"

The butler took her by the shoulders and tried to reason with her. "You saw what was happening in there. Those kids wield ice and fire and shadows from their very fingertips. We'd only get in the way, and you know that. You have to trust in Elsa."

"Elsa…" Anna's father murmured, his voice dazed, his eyes wide and staring off into space. He sat on a different bench, his foot propped up on the seat with him. "What she was doing… And that armor… She's… How long has she been hiding this from us? What… is she?"

"What are you saying?" his wife rounded on him. "She's our daughter! She's-"

"Where's Anna?" Olaf interjected. Kristoff raised both eyebrows at the question before looking down at the bench where he had left her.

She was gone. And so was the baseball bat.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Oh noes, what's Anna gonna do with that bat? And is the fight really over? Is Hans really Hans now? Even if he is, is that _really_ such a good thing? Find out next time!

Special thanks to ****SoraKairiRikuNamine**** **,** ****Spiderfan626** , **and **Miss PandaManga** for posting their reviews! Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! Tens of millions of thanks for everyone's support, keep being effortlessly elegant! Be back for the update next week :D


	18. Chapter 18

"What was it your were saying?" Axel drawled. He meandered slowly around the glacial cage, lazily dragging a chakram along the bars. A loud clang punctuated the air with every ice rung it banged against. "Something about disillusioning us? Huh. If I'm not mistaken, looks instead like we royally kicked your ass." Elsa shot him a look, to which he just shrugged and said, "What?"

Shaking her head, she approached the prison and her armor rattled as she kneeled down to peer in at Hans. "...are you okay? Are you… _you?_ "

He blinked a couple times and it appeared to take a moment for her words to register. "Elsa?" he finally croaked out. He said it in _his_ voice, with no trace of the eerie timbre it had had previously. Suddenly, he clumsily clambered up to the bars, and she unconsciously leaned away from him. "Oh Elsa! I'm so sorry! That wasn't me! I wasn't in control, something else was manipulating my body. There was nothing I could do but watch as all these horrible things happened. Please believe me."

She frowned and her eyes bore into him, as if she would be able discern the truth just from looking at him. Unfortunately, she could not. She felt a dull ache in her chest, hurt and hope warring for dominance within her. "So everything you said earlier… about money, about power… about us… you didn't mean any of it…?"

"Oh, sweetheart. If I could take all of that back, I would. I never meant to hurt you." He sighed and looked down. "Everything is ruined. There is no fixing this, is there?"

At a loss, she cast a helpless look to Sora. He lifted his shoulders, not sure of what to do either. She glanced at Axel next, who sternly shook his head. Stubbornly setting her jaw, she looked at Hans again. "I wouldn't say that. It will take time, but we'll get this all figured out."

She reached out a hand towards him through the bars. "Don't," she heard Axel hiss, but she ignored him, placing it reassuringly on Hans' shoulder.

He shifted his gaze back up to her and smiled. It was his same old smile filled with warmth that she had come to know since they started dating, the one reserved only for her. "Thank you. You don't know what this means to me. That you would… and after everything that I've… I'm just, I'm so sorry…"

His hand reached up to cover hers. His grip was tight.

"...sorry I underestimated you."

He did not give Elsa time to comprehend what he had said. As the last word passed through his lips, his entire form pulsed with darkness and a destructive wave of shadows exploded outward. The ice prison shattered instantly, reduced to cold, jagged shards that flew in every direction. The surge of malicious power flung Sora and Axel off their feet.

Elsa was rooted in place by Hans' vice-like grip still holding onto her hand. Her arm felt like it was going to rip out of its socket as the force of energy rammed against her entire body. Her frozen armor cracked and burst into pieces, leaving only her normal clothes behind. They offered little protection for her as she was forced to stand so close to the blast, and it felt like her body was being shredded by thousands of tiny, burning razors.

When the pain finally stopped, all was quiet and still. Hans released her fingers and she slumped to the ground. Axel and Sora were not much better off as they were struggling to get back up. A soft, unpleasant chuckle cut through the hush and drifted down to her ears.

"Though I'm not actually sorry. It's a blessing, really," Hans purred. "That I didn't take you seriously from the start. Or rather, that the thing possessing me didn't. I wasn't lying about that, I really had no control over my body or anything I was doing. That isn't to say I didn't agree with what it was doing, but neither did that mean I just wanted to be a passenger, powerless to contribute." He stretched and rolled his neck, looking rather pleased. "It's so good to be back in the driver's seat again."

He looked at Sora, who lifted his head with a cringe. "As a matter of fact, I should be thanking you. You and that Keyblade of yours freed me. Chased off most of the Darkness within me, but not all. You left just the right amount for me to be in command again without completely stripping me of my newfound powers.

"Oh sure, it's not what it was," he conceded, kneeling down in front of Elsa. She had managed to prop herself up on her elbows as she looked up at him. The muted pang in her chest when she looked at him had warped into a constricted, crushing feeling. And he knew it, if that cold little half smirk he wore was any indicator. "That thing was just toying with you. Was not even using one tenth of its power, so I know what I have left is nothing compared to what it was before. But with what I do have, I've managed to bring you all to your knees. Clearly, I have more than enough left in me to deal with you."

He looked to his left where one of his discarded sabres laid within arms reach. He took it in hand and straightened up once more. "So, let's do away with those pesky friends of yours. Then I can deliver you to her Ladyship." Hans glanced at the boys. "Which one of you wants to be put out of your misery first? How about-"

 _CRACK!_

A baseball bat suddenly slammed hard into his back. Shadows attempted to spring up and shield him as they did earlier, but they cracked and crumpled under the impact. Evidently, his powers really had been weakened. He cried out as the full brunt of the bat slammed into his spine and he stumbled to one side. Elsa's mouth hung open when she saw who was holding the bat.

"Anna…?"

Her sister started to approach her. "Doy! Who else would I be, s-silly? Geeze, sometimes you c-can be so-" with a shiver, she stumbled and dropped the bat, landing on her knees in front of Elsa.

Elsa scrambled to sit up. "Why did you come back? You're not safe here!"

"Did you th-think I'd just run away and h-hide, knowing you'd n-need my help? I'm here to rescue you!"

"Anna," she began, placing her hands on her shoulders. It was like burying her fingers in subarctic snow and she had to fight the urge to draw her hands back. Anna shuddered violently. "You're shaking like a leaf! What's happening to you?" Rubbing her hands up and down the jacket sleeves covering her sister's arms in a futile attempt to keep her warm, she knew whatever the problem was was her fault, but she did not know how to fix it.

"I d-don't know. But that doesn't matter right now!" she shot back stubbornly. "What matters is I've got your b-back. We can face this thing together! We can-"

"How touching."

With a yelp, Anna was abruptly dragged away. Hans was looming over them again, his grip wrapped tightly around her wrist, a scowl on his face. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut your little reunion short, as your dear sister has so generously volunteered to be the first casualty."

Elsa was on her feet in a second, her hands balled into fists. "You let her go! If you harm her, I'll-"

"You'll what?" he laughed. "You can't bring yourself to hurt me. You know it. I know it. All you can do is stand helplessly by, paralyzed from that broken heart I left you with. Because you were in _love_." He let the word roll off his tongue, taunting her with it.

Her entire being went stark rigid, then relaxed and she looked down. Her eyes were covered by her platinum bangs and a tear rolled down her cheek. Tremors ran through her body.

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings?" he grinned. She mumbled something softly, causing Hans to quirk an eyebrow. "What was that? You'll have to speak up, I didn't quite hear you over the sound of your whimpers."

Her head snapped up and her face was a mask of fury. "Get. Your filthy hands. Off. My. _Sister!_ " As the last word snarled out from between her teeth, she lunged forward and her hand snaked out, freezing blue energy whirling chaotically around it. Before he could react, her fingers had connected with his left eye. Ice immediately sprang up from her touch, seizing first his eyeball, then spreading out to his eyebrow, cheek, and forehead. Hans howled and clasped his hand to his face, releasing Anna as he staggered back.

Elsa sank to her knees in front of Anna and looked at her, eyes full of worry. "Are you okay?"

"W-what, you th-think that idiot c-could actually do anything to me? P-please, I'm fine," Anna brushed it off, though her words were frail. It was clear she had not much left in her to give as she looked just about ready to pass out. The last of the color had drained from her hair. Frost was creeping up her cheeks. "That b-bastard can just go to-"

Anna stopped talking, her attention suddenly drawn to the left. Hearing a stampede of footsteps, Elsa followed her gaze, worried a fresh group of Heartless were ambushing them. Instead, she saw Kristoff running back into the gym, followed closely by her mom and Olaf. Behind them on the threshold of the set of doors was her father, leaning against the frame to keep his weight off his injured foot.

Distraught, Elsa shouted across the room, "What are you all doing back here?!"

"Anna went missing. Looks like our guess that she came back for you was right," Kristoff replied, casting a stern look in Anna's direction.

Elsa shook her head, "You have to get away! It's dangerous! You can't-"

Cutting off her sentence like a knife, Hans' growled, "Screw sparing you, you're not worth it. Maleficent said your Heartless would be magnificent. Let's find out!"

His words had come from behind her, and Elsa began to stand and turn to face him, but she was too slow.

"No!" Anna cried, and Elsa watched as Anna used the last of her strength to throw herself between her sister and the sword in Hans' hand aimed directly for Elsa's heart. The younger sister threw up her arm defensively and the edge of the blade instead came down on her.

Instead of cutting flesh, the sabre struck against something hard and unyielding. The sword broke instantly into several pieces of dark metal. A white ripple of force erupted from Anna and sent Hans flying several yards away. The energy also hit Elsa, but it only washed over her with a tingling sensation without moving her an inch.

Elsa blinked at Hans' limp form. _What… just happened?_ Slowly her gaze turned to her sister looking for answers. She gasped and yelled, " _Anna!_ "

Anna had completely frozen over into a solid statue of ice.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Oh yeah, I'm sure no one saw that one coming... Lawl! Hope you liked the stuff leading up to it tho! :D And I'm sure you can all guess what's gonna come next - I mean, this is _still_ Frozen at heart after all! But bear with me, we're almost done with the Frozen arc :)

Special thanks to ****SoraKairiRikuNamine**** **,** **Miss PandaManga,** ****Spiderfan626,**** and **Juuromaru** for posting their reviews! Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! Hundreds of millions of thanks for everyone's support, keep being fantastically fabulous! Same time next week! :D


	19. Chapter 19

Anna still stood in a protective stance, arm raised to ward off an attack. She was frozen in a second in time where the skirt of her prom dress had been billowing out around her ankles. Her face was a mixture of concern and angry determination.

"...Anna?" Elsa whispered, as if her sister could even hear her. If she could, her icy figure gave no indication. She felt her eyes prickling and she rapidly blinked the sensation away as she reached uncertain hands out to cup her sister's cheeks. "No! No, please, no…"

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she spun around to see Sora and Axel. They looked beat. Axel was staring at Anna, while Sora frowned sympathetically at Elsa and asked, "What do we do?"

"I don't know. I... " she trailed off as she looked at Anna again.

"I could try setting her on fire," Axel suggested. He grunted as Sora smacked him on the back of the head.

Elsa hardly heard his words. It was getting very hard to breath and her eyes were beginning to blur. _Anna, please be okay. Are you even still in there? You have to be! How do I fix this?_

"Elsa? What…?"

Panic clutched her chest as she whipped around at the sound of her mother's voice. She had forgotten that her family was there. Confusion and alarm filled their eyes as they looked from Anna to her. Oh god, no. They had witnessed it all. They had to know this was her fault. Accident or not, to do this to her own sister, what must they think of her? _Don't look at me that way!_ Shaking, she hunched in on herself, her arms hugging tightly to her own body, nails digging into the fabric of her shirt. _What have I done? I'm a monster!_ She turned her back to them, facing Anna again. _You… you're dead... and you're never coming back…_ She threw her arms around the shoulders of the statue, unable to hold her tears back anymore.

For a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of her muffled sobs. It felt as if everything in the whole world had gone still and numb. Everything that is, except for her heart, which felt like it had been ripped from her chest. Oh, Anna. Dear, poor, sweet Anna. If only Elsa had done things differently, none of this would have happened. If only she hadn't fled from the prom, from her sister… if only she had not kept this secret from her… if only she had never shut her out… _if only…_

Something moved.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Elsa was aware of this, but it took several seconds for the oddity of it to sink in. When it did, her eyes snapped open.

Ice sculptures don't move.

Hesitantly, she pulled back, afraid to hope. But when her eyes were not met with cool, indifferent ice and instead saw hair restored to its rich auburn color and the warm, lively blue eyes of her sister, her tearstained face brightened and her heart soared. A soft, almost shy laugh bubbled up from Anna's throat.

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, throwing herself at her sister once more, crushing her now with a hug. She felt Anna return the hug just as tightly. Elsa withdrew almost immediately, taking her sister's hands affectionately in her own and looked at her in wonder. "You… sacrificed yourself? For me?"

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "Duh. Of course I did. I love you."

"An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart…" Kristoff mumbled distractedly, a smile tugging at one corner of his lips. "Heh… maybe that bum wasn't so crazy after all…"

Elsa inhaled sharply through her nose and her back went ramrod straight. Then she looked down, her brow crinkling thoughtfully. "Love… will thaw…" Slowly, a small grin spread across her lips. "Love… of course!" Anna stared at her with a perplexed eyebrow raised, but Elsa hardly noticed. She spun on her heels and sprinted for the nearest door, running past her bewildered family and Kristoff.

 _If my fear and sadness brought the snow, then shouldn't love send it away?_

The frigid air assaulted her as she burst outside, but she paid it no mind. Crunching could be heard from under her feet as they sunk into the thick blanket of snow. She stood there a second surveying the white landscape, her heartbeat rapid with excitement. She then closed her eyes and concentrated.

She thought of her parents… true, she had never had the closest relationship with them, but still they were her parents and she cared for them dearly. She thought of Olaf, who had always been there for her with a sincere smile and kind words. He was more than a butler, he was family. But most of all, she thought of Anna. Her sister who, upon discovering Elsa's secret, had not feared her or despised her, but instead fought to find her and help her. Though a wall had formed between the two of them over the years, their love for each other had never wavered. It may have gotten buried, hidden under fear and misunderstanding, but it had always been there and had been strong.

Elsa let these thoughts warm her heart. She had lived so many years in worry and fear that the sensation was almost foreign to her. It spread first throughout her chest, then on to the rest of her body. Grabbing tightly onto this feeling, her eyes flew open and she flung her arms out at her sides before slowly raising them above her head.

At first, nothing seem to happen. Then, something was out of place: a solitary snowflake. The reason it was out of place was that it was drifting slowly, lazily _upward_. A second later, another speck of snow separated itself from the rest on the ground and flittered up to join the first. Then a few more did the same. Then hundreds… no, thousands of little snowflakes were flying towards the sky. It was like someone had pressed the rewind button on the snowstorm. It stretched as far as the eye could see, stretching across the whole city.

Everyone else stood behind her watching the spectacle, their expressions ranging from blank to awe to baffled. Her parents hung back in the doorway, their jaws practically on the ground. The rest stood in the snow as it slowly thinned out and vanished around them. Anna was beaming and with a giggle, she hugged Kristoff.

Soon enough, the last fluffy white dot popped up off the ground and chased after its companions. High over the city, all the snow could be seen gathering into a swirling mass. It gradually took a shape - a massive, beautiful, crystallized snowflake, the lights of the city below reflecting against its glassy surface. With a flourish, Elsa swiped her hands out in opposite directions and the snowflake exploded like a firework made of glitter, and every last bit vanished. She had freed Arendelle of its curse.

She clapped her hands softly together and held her fingers up to her grinning lips. It had worked!

"Looks like you missed a spot," came Axel's voice from behind her.

Quirking an eyebrow, she turned. Axel had his back to her and was facing the gym, looking up. She followed his gaze upward to the gable where there was normally a little round, stylized window directly above the school's name. That window was currently covered by one last stubborn clump of snow. With a snort, she pointed at it and flicked her hand to the side. Most of the snow cascaded off.

What still clung to the window was in the giant shape of an aperture one would normally find on a lock.

Her eyes widened and she looked from it to Sora. "The Keyhole?"

He nodded and they watched as the snow seemed to sink into the glass. The silhouette of the keyhole remained and glowed a vivid, swirling iridescent.

"I'll take it from here," Sora said, lifting his Keyblade to point it at the Keyhole. Light and colors spiraled around the tip of the weapon as it began to shine. The light grew in intensity before a thin, pale blue beam shot out of it. It collided with the Keyhole with a radiant burst and a loud locking noise rung throughout the the air. The Keyhole then started to chip apart into several tiny snowflakes that flew off in a gentle, chilly breeze, leaving behind a window that was normal once again.

Elsa watched the bits of snow float away. When the last of it disappeared off in the distance, she turned and started as she realized her parents were staring at her, their faces completely stupefied. She then blushed and looked down, twisting her braid in her hands.

"I, uh… guess I have some explaining to do."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the short (and probably not very exciting, since it was pretty much the scene the movie) chapter! I thought about combining it with the next one, but I felt it just worked better as a segment on its own. And hey, keyhole! That wasn't in the movie! So... wooo! :P

Oh gosh, only 1 chapter left to wrap up this arc of the story! How did we get here so fast? Feels like I was just posting chapter 1 yesterday.

Special thanks to **Spiderfan626** , **SoraKairiRikuNamine** , and **Miss PandaManga** for posting their reviews! Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! Billions of thanks for everyone's support, keep being gorgeously gallant! Next update in a week!


	20. Chapter 20

Explaining everything to her parents had been awkward at best. Afterwards, it still did not seem like they completely understood it all. Really, the concept that your daughter could conjure ice at the snap of a finger or cause a city-wide blizzard with a wave of the hand should not be all that hard to grasp. However, since they had seen her powers with their own eyes, it seemed that the problem they were running into was not so much that they couldn't believe it, but that they did not _want_ to believe it. They kept asking Elsa questions along the lines of how the "situation" could be "remedied", as if she had some disease that needed to be cured.

As for their reactions to Sora the Keyblade Master and Axel the human flamethrower? There were none. Just blank stares and gaping mouths. Elsa's best guess was it was all too much for them. Information overload had shut down their brains. Poor things.

She had not gotten long to discuss the matter with her parents however, for shortly after everything had settled down, a cop car had shown up on the scene. Apparently, what had gone down in the gym had caused quite a lot of noise that could be heard at nearby houses, and the police had been alerted to it. Once the officer found out her father was injured, she had radioed an ambulance for him and it was currently en route to their location. The gym had been investigated as well, but all that was found was the wreckage left over in the aftermath. Hans was nowhere to be seen.

It had been a long night. Elsa had not truly realized how long until she was told that the wee-hours of pre-dawn were upon them. She now sat on a bench outside the gym, watching her frazzled parents and Olaf from several yards away as they spoke to the officer. Elsa had no idea what story they were giving the cop, but she imagined they could get away with telling her practically anything at this point. After all, it was not such a stretch to believe the police department had been dealing with an awful lot tonight, what with an unexpected snowstorm in the middle of Summer most likely causing car crashes and other such accidents, plus probably several accounts of strange shadow creatures running amuck through the streets. Whatever slight bending of the truth her parents were giving the cop would probably just get lost in the PD's ever growing pile of other reports from the past twelve hours.

She looked to her left where Sora sat quietly beside her. "So that's it?" she asked. "With the Keyhole sealed, Arendelle is safe from the Heartless?"

"For the most part," he nodded. "The heart of the city was mainly what they were after, so now there's nothing to draw any new ones here. There might be a few stragglers, but they took such a hit in their numbers thanks to us that they probably won't be confident enough to attack anymore people. They'll probably just flee, regroup and move on to search for the next open Keyhole."

"And you?"

"I'll be doing the same. That, and continuing the search for my friends."

Elsa hesitated before opening her mouth to ask a question. "...how have you been getting around?"

That hadn't been the question she had intended to ask him.

"I've just been hopping random trains and riding until the Cricket tells me I'm close to a Keyhole." He laughed. "I'm not really one for planning ahead, but this way seems to have been working out okay so far."

She nodded and was silent as she chewed on her lower lip.

"You want to come with me, don't you?" Sora asked.

Her eyes drifted up to glance at him again. "...am I that obvious?"

"Well, I'd be happy if you decided to tag along. If you and Axel hadn't been around tonight, I'm not sure if all this would have had such a happy ending." He grinned at her. "And it'd be nice to have friends around again."

A tiny flutter rippled through her heart. She had made a new friend. How long had it been since she could say that? She smiled, but it faded quickly into a frown. "I'd love to be able to help. And I think that… I really need to get away… to be anywhere but home right now." Her gaze returned to her parents. "But I just don't know…"

Sora stood and stretched. "I get it. It's not an easy decision. Just know you're more than welcome to come along. I'll be hanging out here a bit longer, so just let me know."

Her head bobbed at his words as he walked over to join the rest of the teenagers, who were chatting in a group off to one side. Anna looked up as Sora appeared beside her, then turned to Elsa. Elsa rose to her feet and watched as her sister approached her with a small grin that crinkled her eyes.

Elsa returned it before worrying her fingers through her braid. How to explain to Anna what she was considering? She did not even know if she was actually going to go with Sora. But it did sound really tempting...

"You're thinking of leaving," Anna broke the silence abruptly.

She rocked back on her heels a bit. "How did you…?" She shook her head with a sigh. "Yeah, kinda…" Crossing her arms, Elsa looked away, waiting for her sister to berate her for even contemplating such a stupid idea.

"You should do it."

She blinked in surprise. Well, she had not been expecting _that_. "What?"

Anna giggled at her reaction then raised her chin smugly. "You heard me."

"But... after all these years, I _just_ got you back. And after all you've done tonight, how you fought and struggled to get to me, to help me. How can I just… leave?"

She stepped forward to take Elsa's hands in her own. "Well, for starters, you're eighteen now, so you can do whatever you want. Plus, what you most certainly do not need right now is to be cooped up under the scrutiny of Mom and Dad. What you need is an adventure. I think it'll be good for you. You're wound so tightly, maybe this'll loosen you up a bit."

She stared down at their hands. "What about you?" Her head shot up suddenly. "You could come with me!"

Shaking her head, Anna said gently, "No. This should be your journey. Now that I know you're okay, I don't need to chase after you anymore. Besides, someone needs to stay behind and pacify the parental units when you disappear. They don't need two daughters going missing on them at the same time. Plus… I think Kristoff and I might have a thing going on…" She turned to look at the boy in question. As if sensing eyes on him, he turned his head and waved awkwardly. Anna snorted before continuing, "So don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Elsa's lips formed an "O" shape. Well, look at the two of them, already having girl talk about boys. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. So she just smiled and said, "Okay then, I guess. As long as you're sure."

"I am," she chirped, then reached inside the jacket she wore - still the one Kristoff had given her earlier that night - to pull something out and place it in her sister's hand. It was Elsa's smartphone. "You left this at the dance, by the way. Since you'll be on the lam, I'll understand if you leave it turned off most of the time. But if you ever need anything - _anything_ at all - call me. I mean it."

Elsa ran her fingers along the edges of the phone fondly. It was her link back to home. Placing it in her pocket, she said, "Thank you. And I didn't say it before, but I hope you know that I love you too."

"I know," Anna responded cheekily before wrapping her arms tightly around Elsa in a hug. "We'll be waiting for you, whenever you decide it's time to come home."

Unable to find words, she just hugged her sister back. They stayed that way for a couple minutes before separating. Anna then pat Elsa on top of the head and skipped off to rejoin the group. She poked an unsuspecting Kristoff in the side, who quite visibly jumped.

Hiding a smirk behind her hand, Elsa scanned the faces in the group and saw that Axel was no longer among them. Glancing around, she spotted him leaning against a wall a few yards away, arms crossed. They had not really spoken to each other yet. Sure, a word had been exchanged here or there in the heat of battle, but they had not really _talked_ yet, not since she had yelled at him and told him to go away. It seemed that now was her chance. She started to walk towards him, hesitating a second and almost losing her nerve, before stubbornly pushing forward. "Look who's being antisocial," she teased when she got close enough, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.

"You're not much better," he responded as he pushed himself away from the wall. "Though you do seem to be less antsy about the whole skin contact thing. Good for you."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"I saw you and your sister getting all handsy," he said with a wink. "Just now, and earlier."

Her eyebrows knit together in thought before she let out a soft gasp. She had been holding Anna's hands without gloves! How could she be so careless?

Her distress must have been apparent on her face, for Axel was hasty to add, "Hey, it wasn't a criticism. In fact, it's a good thing. Shows you're starting to get more comfortable with your powers."

"But it was irresponsible, I could have hurt her. I wasn't thinking of her safety."

"Actually, I think that's all you were thinking of. It may not of been in the form of stressing over giving her hypothermia, but during our encounter with Hans, you clearly wanted to protect her. Once you stop worrying about harming others with your powers, you'll… well, stop harming others with your powers."

"But with Anna… that was a special case, what with everything going on and her being my sister. I don't know if I can do it again… not think about how damaging my touch can be, that is." Elsa sighed. "I've been this way so long, I don't know how to be otherwise."

He gave her a half grin. "Baby steps, Snowflake. What you've managed so far is a start. The rest will come with time."

"I guess…" she mumbled, not seeming to share his confidence. Regardless, that was not the reason she had come over here. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth.

Axel beat her to the punch. "You're going with Sora."

She gaped at him. "...what, is everyone a mind reader now?"

"No. But it's written all over your face as plainly as if you had said it."

"I wish people would stop reading my face. It's not a book," she grumbled, to which he just shrugged. "Anyway, I don't know if I-"

She cut herself off as she was struck with the realization that she actually did know. At some point, _possibly_ leaving with Sora had changed into _definitely_ leaving with Sora. Apparently, Anna had told her all the things she needed to hear to make up her mind. "Actually, yes. I am going with him. Do you want to come along?"

Both his eyebrows raised as if in shock, even though she knew it wasn't possible for him to feel such an emotion. "Does that mean you trust me again?"

Elsa scuffed the heel of her shoe against the ground. This had been what she wanted to talk to him about, but she was not sure even she really knew the answer to that question yet. She took a second to gather her thoughts, then said, "I'm grateful for what you did earlier. Saving my family, helping fight off the Heartless and Hans… and after all the awful things I said to you. I didn't mean any of them, I was just angry and worried and was lashing out. I'm sorry I said those things to you."

"Hey, don't sweat it. It's not like you crushed my heart. Don't got one, ya know?" She just stared at him. He scratched the back of his head as he said, "Still too soon for joking about it, huh? Anyway, all I'm saying is if you need an emotional punching bag, I'm your best bet, so always feel free to go for it."

Tilting her head to one side, she said, "Thanks, but I think I'll just try to keep a cooler head on my shoulders in the future."

"That works too. Just remember, offer's always on the table."

She grinned and shook her head. "Anyway, as for what you did… well, I'm glad you decided not to go through with handing me over to this Organization XIII and I forgive you for keeping the whole truth from me. But as for trust… no, I don't trust you yet." He remained silent and she had to quickly look away from his penetrating gaze.

"But," she said pointedly before continuing in a softer, almost shy tone, still not looking at him, "I am willing to give you the chance to earn my trust again, if you're so inclined."

Rubbing his chin, Axel said, "I can live with that. Deal." He offered his hand to her. "Shake on it?"

She pursed her lips and did not move right away. But a second later, she placed her hand in his for the handshake, her fingers tingling with the warmth from his. When he released her hand, she may have pulled it back just a bit too quickly, clasping it protectively in her other hand.

"So what about Hans?" Axel asked. "He already kidnapped your family once. What's to stop him from doing it again if you leave?"

"What'll stop him is he's not stupid. He thought he could get away with it because he thought I couldn't hurt him. To be fair, I thought so too, but I guess even I have my limits. No, he experienced the consequences from trying it once, he won't try it again. It's me he's after, so he'll probably just follow me while he comes up with a new plan of attack. If he even still cares. He may have just decided I'm more trouble than I'm worth and moved on."

"I doubt it. He'll pop up again sooner or later," he said.

She frowned. Was that a good thing or not? Honestly, she'd be happy if she never saw him again, but it was probably a bad idea leaving him running loose, all juiced up on dark powers. However, they'd cross that bridge when they got to it. There was no use worrying about it now. Besides, something else was troubling her. "... he mentioned that my Heartless would be magnificent. What was that supposed to mean?"

He tapped a finger to his head in thought. "Well... you know how Heartless come in all different shapes and sizes? That's based on the amount of darkness in a person's heart when it's stolen. The more darkness, the nastier the Heartless that is created can be. For example, the little Heartless that are basically canon fodder came from people who didn't have enough darkness in their heart to fill a thimble. But that bearzilla we fought earlier? Probably came from one evil son of a bitch."

Her face fell as one of her hands flew to her chest. "So he was saying if the Heartless ever got me, I'd make something like that? Because I have a lot of darkness in my heart? That I'm evil?"

"No, not evil. Definitely not," he shook his head rapidly. "But... you do probably carry a lot of darkness within you because of all the fear and loneliness that's been building up inside you over the years. But we can work on that."

Work on it, huh? He made it sound so easy. She was not so sure it would be. Instead of arguing however, she asked, "What about that name Hans mentioned... Maleficent? Who's that?"

"Probably that precious 'Ladyship' he kept going on about," he said with finger quotes. "His boss."

"Yeah, but _who_ is she? What does she want? Why did she want me to help her? How did she do what she did to Hans? And Hans mentioned something about Anna not being one of the seven... seven what? How-"

"Woah, woah, slow down there," he interrupted her, raising his hands. "Do I look like I have all the answers?"

She frowned and sighed. "Well, no..."

"Then what are you asking me for? Your guess is as good as mine."

Smirking, she said, "Fine then, here's one you probably can help with. What's that Organization of yours going to do now? I'm guessing they won't exactly be thrilled when they realize you're not coming back, if they haven't figured it out already."

"Oh yah, they'll be positively tickled that I bailed. We can probably expect gift baskets from them at some point," he said sarcastically. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he added, "But don't worry about it."

"Well that's comforting," Elsa mumbled.

Footsteps could be heard and she turned to see Sora joining them. "So. Who's in?"

Axel raised his hand eagerly. "Me!"

Elsa glanced over her shoulder at her parents and Olaf one last time. They were still engrossed in their conversation with the police officer and completely oblivious to the rest of their surroundings. Her gaze traveled to Anna, who met her eyes immediately and offered her a reassuring smile. Elsa grinned and bowed her head slightly, before turning back to Sora as she took a deep breath. "Me too."

With a nod and a smirk, Sora motioned for them to follow him. The trio slipped silently off into the fading night just as the sun began to rise over the horizon.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** And thus Book 1 comes to a close! Woo, Frozen arc over, on to the next adventure! But before that, we have a lot of things to discuss guys! Sorry for the incoming wall of text! Alright, here goes:

 **UPDATE 1/20/2017: BOOK 2 HAS BEGUN! You can find it on my profile, title _The Heart of All Worlds: Split Ends_. The rest of this AN beneath this paragraph is old, but I decided to leave it (mostly) as is - if any new readers happen upon this, I'd still love to hear the answers to my questions! However note there is mention in the old AN of a preview of Book 2 coming up next chapter - I DID have it posted, but I have removed it as it is now chapter 1 of Book 2 - no need to have it in two places! Also, my other new story I referred to in this AN is called _31 Days_ and has already been posted, please go check it (and my other stories) out if you haven't yet :) Thanks! Now we return to the old AN previously in progress…**

First off, I will be taking a bit of a break from writing. I figured here, between "worlds", seemed to be a good place for a brief stopping point. Why the break? Because I'm getting married next month xD So I will understandably be very busy putting all my focus on finalizing the wedding preparations (oh gosh, it's all so stressful!) and can't let myself get distracted by fanfiction ;_; But don't worry, this story is FAR from over and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. I've already started writing Book 2 and for those of you who are curious, I will be posting a "preview" chapter for it (sort of a short little prologue) next week so you guys can find out what "world" our heroes will be visiting next :) So keep an eye out for that update!

Also, I have a lot of plans for the other "worlds" our heroes will be going to in future books, but it's not all 100% mapped out nor set in stone yet. So if you guys have any votes for Disney movie worlds you'd like to see in my story, let me know! Don't be shy! You might remind me of a movie I've forgotten and would love to include!

And I'm not sure exactly when my time will free up again so that I can get back into this, but hopefully it shouldn't be more than about 2 months. I know, it's a bit long, but it'll fly by in no time, you'll see!

Now onto the other bit of news: when I do inevitably return, I actually won't be starting with Book 2 of this series right away. Why? Let's start by saying that as much of a ridiculous crack pairing as it is, I love AxelxElsa. It may not show a whole lot in this story (oh is it coming tho, just you wait), but I'm an obsessed weirdo, you'll learn soon enough xD Because of my obsession, I have billions of ideas for different stories for these two, and new ones keep popping into my brain every day. Let me know if you want me to list them out sometime, haha.

But anyway, while I've been working on Book 2 of this series, I've also been writing two other AU AxelxElsa stories (oops my cray-cray is showing, haha). One of them is almost done - a lot closer to being done than Book 2 of this series. So, when I return, I will start by posting that new story :) It's very different from this series, both in plot and writing style, but I hope you guys will still like it! It's about a thousand times more shippy than this series is (I know, this series is hardly shippy at all, but it'll get there - I mean, Elsa just got out of relationship with a dude who wanted to hand her over to the Heartless, while Axel is a Nobody, ie has the emotional capacity of a toaster. Meaning, neither of them really have romance on the mind... not yet, at least xD hehehe) And worry not, Book 2 of this series will go up sooner or later as well! At the latest, by the time I'm done posting my new story, but maybe sooner if I get enough of it written out first to feel comfortable to start posting it early!

Side note: do you guys think its okay for me to keep posting my stories in the KH section of FFN, as opposed to the KH-Frozen crossover section? I mean, Frozen in KH3 is most likely going to be a given, and even if it weren't, I'm still of the opinion that when it comes to KH, anything Disney is fair game and so my AxelxElsa stories don't need to be crossovers. But that doesn't stop me from being nervous about receiving lash back from diehard KH fans about not flagging my stories as crossovers (of which I've gotten none so far, thankfully! I'm probably just paranoid) or being curious what others' thoughts on this are, so let me know!

Whew! I think that covers everything, sorry for the short essay, guys, but I wanted you all to know what to expect coming up! By the way, none of my questions were rhetorical. I really want to hear from all of you, so if you have any thoughts at all that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them so please let me know!

Special thanks to **SoraKairiRikuNamine,** **Spiderfan626,** and **Juuromaru** for posting their reviews! Thanks to the rest of you who favorited, followed, PMed me about this story, or even have just only read it while remaining silent so far! If you haven't already, now would be a **great** time to leave a **review** ;) They will sustain me while I am gone! Hundreds of billions of thanks for everyone's support, keep being heartwarmingly happy! Be back with a new story in a few months!


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